ISOLATION

INSPIRED BY J.G. BALLARD’S THE KILLING GROUND (1969), THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE SHAPE OF ISOLATION—NOT AS A PLACE, BUT AS A FEELING THAT MOVES THROUGH TIME, SPACE, AND MEMORY.

THROUGH RESEARCH INTO URBAN LIFE, I IDENTIFIED PARAMETERS THAT HEIGHTEN ISOLATION: THE TIME OF DAY, THE SEASON, THE RHYTHM OF ROUTINE, THE ABSENCE OR SUDDEN LOSS OF OTHERS, EVEN THE COLOURS THAT SURROUND US. SOME FEEL ALONE IN CROWDS, OTHERS IN STILLNESS. YOUTH FEELS ISOLATION AS FOMO IN SUMMER, AGE FEELS IT AS ABSENCE IN WINTER.

I CHOSE TO EXPRESS THESE EMOTIONS THROUGH OBJECTS, SPACES, AND COLOUR—USING FAMILIAR ELEMENTS TO TRANSLATE AN INVISIBLE FEELING INTO A TANGIBLE EXPERIENCE. THE PROJECT UNFOLDS AS AN ANIMATION: A VISUAL NARRATIVE THAT FOLLOWS A SINGLE OBSERVER ACROSS A LIFETIME. THE CAMERA BEGINS LOW, TRACKING A BABY CRAWLING THROUGH SPACES. IT RISES AS THE OBSERVER AGES, MOVING THROUGH MONOTONY, WORK, REPETITION. FINALLY, IT SETTLES ABOVE A ROCKING CHAIR—AGE, STILLNESS, MEMORY.

ISOLATION IS A STUDY OF INVISIBLE EDGES—TOLD THROUGH MATERIAL, COLOUR, AND SPACE—EXPLORING HOW ARCHITECTURE CAN HOLD BOTH PRESENCE AND ABSENCE, TOGETHER.