“I was traveling in search for people who have decided to escape
from social life and lived all alone in the wild nature, far away from any
villages, towns or other people.
The main characters of my project violate social standards for
different reasons. By a complete withdrawal from society they go live alone in
the wild nature, gradually dissolving in it and losing their social identity.
While exploring their experience, it is important for me to understand if one
is able to break free from social dependence and get away from the public to
the subjective - and thus, to make a step towards oneself.
I am concerned about the issue of internal freedom in the modern
society: how feasible it is, when you’re surrounded by a social framework all
the time? School, work, family - once in this cycle, you are a prisoner of your
own position, and have to do what you're supposed to. You should be pragmatic
and strong, or become an outcast or a lunatic. How to remain yourself in the midst
of this?
I grew up in the heart of the big city, but I’ve always
been drawn to wildlife - for me it's a place where I can hide and feel the real
me, my true self, out of social context.”
Danila Tkachenko is a visual artist working with documentary
photography. The main theme of his work is the identity. In the debut project
“Transitional Age" he is interested in the transformation of a teenager’s
identity – a child becomes an adult. In his following project
"Escape" the focus shifts to the opposition of the individual and
society. Danila researches the experience of hermits – people who live through
decades alone with nature –and tries to find the answer for the critical
questions: whether the individual freed from social environment becomes
closer to his “true” self; and what happens to personality when it loses its
"social mask".
All images © Danila Tkachenko
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento