Anyone can relate to these self-portraits where artist Jun Ahn straddles the ledges of buildings, surrounded by New York City’s grandiose architecture. These photos remind me of the in-between, the edge, the brink of failure or success, life and death. Also the high expectations placed on the Asian community as the “model minority.” With a stigma surrounding mental health, many choose to end their lives over seeking help due to the pressure of success.
”My Self Portrait is a kind of performance without an audience, only to be photographed since it is a portrait of my desire rather than the reality. There is a day I recall from my teenage years. I was sitting on the edge of the window in my apartment in New York, looking over the cityscape. I was thinking about how my youth was coming to end, being unable to figure out my future. I looked down and saw the empty space, the void. There was a sudden change in my perspective on life and death, of present and future…I felt the illusion of beautiful buildings was like the future or the unreachable ideals that still surround us somehow. The empty space was the present for me.”
Ahn never revealing her face allows viewers to insert themselves as the person on the ledge. For me it creates a greater sense of empathy and introspection. The juxtaposition of being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of NYC, where millions of people are piled on top of each other, versus the intimacy of isolation when having this internal conflict regarding what you’re going to do with your life, is perfectly captured. How are you going to fill that empty space? What path are you going to choose? Why? Via: Artsy
