When you
grow up in a city of 10 million, in a country that is
rapidly developing, preparing itself and its citizens to enter the global
arena, you find yourself constantly seeking quietude, some time away from the
fast-paced-ness of events, eventually leading you to begin to romanticize solitude.
My father
had always been a storyteller. He had a penchant for adding narrative to
everything mundane. As a child, when I often found myself being overwhelmed by
how much was simultaneously happening all at once, around me, he would tell me
to put my shoes on and then take me on a long walk around our neighborhood. These
walks weren’t interventions of any sort; there were no questions asked. Instead,
while we strolled through parks and past houses, he would point at the simplest
of things, like perhaps the lone red rose in a neighbor’s garden, and create a little
story around it. Walking with him, I would carefully observe one thing after
the other; the same things that I previously didn’t care enough about to even notice, suddenly turned into objects of immense interest.
These
walks would launch me into a fantastical journey and I would never want that
little journey to come to an end. When we would come back home and I would tell
my father how I felt a lot better, he would respond by saying, “Always
remember, nothing gives one more clarity than taking a walk”. Ever
since, I have lived by his words.
The
generation of today does not stop and think. As technology advances, we are
rapidly, if not already, endangering our sense and patience for
observation.
The art
of visually stimulating one’s senses has become obsolete. McLuhan too
recognized this growing ignorance towards one’s immediate environment. He says,
“At the high speeds of electric communication, purely visual means of apprehending
the world are no longer possible” (McLuhan 63).
For
the “Something is Happening” photo project, I decided to venture out, in the
wee hours of this Wednesday morning, on the streets of Appleton. With three
layers of clothing and a camera hanging around my neck, I wanted to be
disturbed by nothing but the icy wind, as I attempted to capture subtleties in
our environment that we pass by in absolute oblivion - create my own private little
narratives.
The wind
was icy, the roads empty and the small businesses all shut.
To a lone wanderer,
in subzero temperatures, downtown Appleton felt serene.
 |
| Up Is The Wrong Way, a photograph by Zain Ali |
I would
walk, pause, think and click. Different vantage points allowed for interesting
narrative. I found humor trapped in nooks and corners, I found spring locked
inside a gardening shop. I realized there was still so much outside to see,
instead of just piles of white snow. There were fascinating compositions.
I hope
after viewing my photo series, “Early Morning”, you too decide to venture out, take your own little
private walk. Not with your head down, texting away on your iPhone 5, but with
your chin up, and your eyes not shut.
