In design class, we created another diptych (two images placed side by side) that told a story. Each side of the diptych entitled "Denied" represents a part of the story, and the two images together have a combined meaning. To see the two photos in their original size, you can click on the thumbnail below.

Artist Statement

My narrative is the story of an old man who has lived a rough life. The only distinct thing he remembers from his childhood is a small snow globe that his father gave him, as it was the only gift that he ever received. Throughout his adult years, the man treasures the globe, but he becomes overly protective of it. One day, the man bumps into a table, dropping and shattering the snow globe. The old man starts to cry because the only memento from his youth is now gone.

My first picture is of a playground during the early evening when the sunset begins. As a young child, the late days of playing in my playgrounds were among the more vivid memories from my childhood. It represents how carefree and cheerful those specific memories were, and how timeless those moments are. In relation to my story, the nostalgic feeling from the playground is captured in the old man's snow globe, as one of his most valuable memories.

On the other hand, the second picture is of a person clenching on a chain link fence. Mirroring the shattering of the snow globe, the fence provides a point of no return. The fence gives the kind of feeling one would experience as if they have been separated or ripped apart from something. It serves as a barrier to separate things that were meant to be together, such as the old man and his snow globe. As a child, my experiences with fences were that they meant "no more".

 

© 2012 Stephen Song. All Rights Reserved.