Shadowlife

Abstract

In this document I explore psychological implications of shadow in architecture through photography and poetic writing. The writing also becomes a contemplation of spirituality and death as an adjunct to the proposal. Within specific chapters I present photographic images of architecture and art, and interpret them in order to give the reader an insight into my thesis proposition through a discussion of visual references. The chapters consist of themes on shadow interpretation, spirituality, beauty and the Japanese aesthetic, the sublime, masculine and feminine readings, abstraction of shadow projection, the creative mind and depression, isolation, and death. There is also a section of my own photographs of a domestic environment which encourages the reader to 'see' their proximal surroundings anew in order to be fascinated by the everyday. The human condition is attuned to the psychological nuances, both positively and negatively, of the spaces of darkness which surround us. Often we are not aware of our surroundings through lack of appreciation, observation or interest, yet if we stop to take time to absorb the beauty of low illumination found in architecture and nature we may be able to apprehend a more profound experience in the passage of our existence in this lifetime. My writing style is interpretive, intimate, illusory and personal. Through research I make reference to other writers and photographers and also propose some intuitive philosophical ideas about our human nature and the way we respond as individuals to situations of obscurity. This thesis tries to help navigate the darkness which is our constant companion and therefore becomes a contemplation of shadow as a psychological force in the interpretation of our shadowlife.