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Jennifer Zhou | all galleries >> Galleries >> Everybody Has a Story > Lonely Man, Suzhou, China, 2004
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07-NOV-2004

Lonely Man, Suzhou, China, 2004

This man has turned his home into a small tea house. But nobody comes to drink his tea. He is about to retreat to a darker part of his house. I made this image just before he left me -- it is almost as if I am trying to hold him back from the darkness that calls him. It is such a painful picture for me to look at. I feel the loneliness that seems to be slowly draining the life from this man.


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Guest 17-Jun-2006 13:06
you have really captured a nice moment here..
i like how you can see he's retreating into the darkness
Patrick DEBETENCOURT22-Dec-2005 14:27
Very good ! We can feel his pain to walk toward the dark side of the house. Patrick
Tom Talbot08-Oct-2005 16:29
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but in this case you have used 84 words to bring emotion to a photo that can't tell the story by itself. I am moved by this.
Haidong 05-Jun-2005 15:56
Sorry but I have to say that you seemed have put too much emotion into a simple image. To me the image is not as powerful as your explaination.
Guest 20-May-2005 16:17
This is a terrific image in both what it expresses and the wonderful technical shot also. Its exposed to give us the bright blown out highlights outside the building and gives us every shade in betweeen right down to the shadows the man walks towards. His face is just barely visible to us, amazing work.
Michel Carlué11-Apr-2005 05:59
Light and shadow, it's the symbol of human life. Great and evocative composition, strenght of white and black expression. I love this pic.
Guest 02-Apr-2005 19:48
this one is a masterpiece.
Phil Douglis13-Nov-2004 03:46
****Black and white abstracts and simplifies your image to create one of your strongest statements, ever. It reminds me somewhat of your "Downtown, 2003" image in 'Streets of Vancouver" athttp://www.pbase.com/angeleyes_zyl/image/21320707. Only this image speaks to me of age and loneliness, whereas the other one was about man and institutions. Every inch of this image works for you, Jen. Nothing goes to waste. The abstraction is profound -- this man's feelings are furtive and guarded and obscured. You make us work to know him, but studying the image carefully, we can see details that tell us who he might be. The room is empty, clean, bare of life. Lots of room to sit, but nobody to sit with him. So he stands, arms behind his body, off balance, a study in insecurity. This is where he lives and works. Where he will wait for customers who may never come. Behind him, in the real world, there is a glow of light, symbolizing hope, opportunity and life. But he has turned his back on that light, choosing to recede into the darkness and the loneliness of old age. Just as old age will gradually take all of us from the light into darkness.

You give us much food for thought and interpretation here, Jen. You are at your best when your images ask questions and demand answers from the viewers. And this is one of your best.
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