A flâneur is a person who walks the city in order to experience it. Their ultimate goal is to experience, observe and be inspired by their surroundings. For this photo essay I have decided to adopt the approach of the flâneur in order to explore my critical perspective. As stated in the book section ‘Taking a Line for a Walk’: Walking as an Aesthetic Practice by Raymond Lucas, “…the subway is in reality a distinctly ‘anthropological place’ varying in character from the first train in the morning to the rush-hours, to the daytime and then evening trains” (Lucas, 2008). The idea of a changing anthropological space led me to explore my chosen narrative: the way that spaces are defined by those who fill them.
When choosing my subjects I examined how people move around in a given space, and how their movements affected the movements of others. I wanted to be the watcher, unseen by the subject while capturing their emotion, and the atmosphere of the location. Throughout my images you will see that I largely focused on body language and interactions with their surroundings, with most of the faces hidden or obscured. I wanted to convey a specific tone through these techniques, without blatantly ‘staring’ at the subject.
I explored several public locations around the Wellington CBD and waterfront, photographing anyone from street beggars to police to tourists. By capturing a slice of that moment in time the viewer is presented a snapshot of that person’s life, their social status, even the way that others are interacting with them. The photo of the young girl reading a beggar’s hand written sign speaks volumes. While most people walk by without a glance or a second thought, this child’s curiosity overwhelmed her desire to continue on her travels, causing her to pause for a moment and ponder this man’s situation. The man sitting at the bar is clearly deep in thought, alone and avoided by anyone who passes by.
By observing those who we might usually give little thought about, and adopting a Flânerie approach to enable me to do so, I think this collection of images creates a sense of understanding about the subjects, an intriguing view into their lives at a given moment. I enjoyed exploring the city as an anthropological place, and observing the space from a new perspective.
Source List:
Lucas, R. (2008). 'Taking a Line for a Walk': Walking as an Aesthetic Practice. In T. Ingold, & J. L. Vergunst, Ways of Walking: Ethnography and Practice on Foot (Anthropological Studies of Creativity and Perception) (pp. 169-184). Ashgate Publishing Limited.
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