光明 II ：Engagement
Photography, 2019. Dali Wu
This series is a sequel to the "光明：Enlightenment" photography taken in 2012 with my grandfather as the main character.
This time, my grandfather in the shot was a lot more painful, resentful and helpless than the one that was just short of blindness. My grandfather no longer accepts outside information, because the excessive use of the ear he is becoming deaf, and while I was sitting beside him, he still hold my hand asking what happened in the world. He also stopped eating fruit for two consecutive years, because he was afraid to add more trouble to people around him. A good communist always serves people, but not on the contrary. He is very angry with himself now, his temper is getting worse and worse, and he feels that being taken care of is a shame. Who care for the grandparents right now are my uncle and aunty, they are both aged and white-haired. It’s a pity that I only stayed for one day and couldn’t share any responsibility and hurried away. When I left, I heard my grandmother call my name on the balcony, asking me to take good care of myself. I turned back and saw that she tried to look around from the balcony, as if to wave to someone in the void. My aunty who was aside to see me off, muttering: " How could she still remembers so many words when her mind is confused?!" After returning home with the high-speed rail that night, I was about to sketch out this scene. I also recorded a non-existent jasmine on the balcony with my brush, because the scent of jasmine reminded me of my grandmother. The jasmine in the picture, even though the branches are withered, there are also flowery buds waiting to open.
"光明 (Light) II: Engagement", "Engagement" means "contract", also is the meaning of "debt", and even has the meaning of "combat." Life is a battlefield, meanwhile it is a kind of contract. It's a kind of contract that my aunty and uncle take care of their parents. My grandfather does not commit suicide and lives without any interest, it is to satisfy the contract of his children’s expectations of filial piety. My leave and more even my absence, it's my debt.
The third series’ name will be "光明 III : Engravement", and it's on the way of preparing.
