The Search

 

One of the many ideas society has taught us is to find fulfillment in life. That could mean a multitude of things, all the way from buying a new favorite pair of shoes, to giving money and supplies to those in need. Ever since we were little, we have been trying to figure out what makes us happy. However, people eventually move on to the next best thing because they were not content with what they were doing. What I’ve come to realize is that people will always be searching for fulfillment and that it is inevitably a never-ending cycle of trying to achieve it. This body of work visualizes the psychological and physical aspects of the emotions faced while searching for fulfillment. I have photographed individuals to demonstrate the stages of feeling lost as well as longing for whatever is going to make them feel content. Diptychs are utilized to create a relationship between an individual and an object within an environment. These objects, expressed or implied, are symbolic of one’s thought process during times of self-reflection.

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Looking at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid, there are four needs: physiological, safety, love and belonging, and esteem, that lead you to the final part, self-actualization. How often do you think we have met all those needs and have actually succeeded in finding what truly makes us happy? How would one recognize self-actualization if it could be found?

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This series explores several of the stages that come with fulfillment while raising the question of whether an individual will ever be content. Laura Stevens, a photographer who “investigates psychological states and the interdependency between emotions and environmental surroundings” inspired this body of work. Her use of emotive lighting and directorial approach reinforce the ideas presented in her work.  As an artist, I am fascinated with the human psyche and how people think and act the way they do. These images depict how people present their emotions on a physical level when they find themselves back at the beginning of their search for contentment.