My friend, Shaili wrote a brilliant piece on shadows.
Like she has said, we take advantage of the fact that we have shadows.
Unlike mirror images, shadows follow us everywhere.
Mirror images come close as we come closer and move away as we disappear.
Now look at the image above and imagine your shadow doing something like that to you.
Imagine your shape saying, "Ah fuck you. I want to have some fun and destroy you."
If you've played the original Prince of Persia, you'll know what happens. The shadow comes and takes out his sword. You have to put your sword back into your sheath for your shadow to do the same thing. If you choose to fight, you die as soon as you kill your shadow.
If you haven't read the link that I posted at the beginning of the blog, it says that our shadow defines us. It is an extension of us.
I remember one time, my sister and I went to the Gateway of India at night to shoot. I was having a lot of fun playing with the light and decided to take a picture of my sister and I as shadows. It's one of my favourite pictures because despite the simplicity, it says a lot.
Indian mythology told us about shadows. According to legend, the Devas did not have shadows, while the Asuras did. The sun and the moon notice this when the Asura Rahu disguises himself like a Deva, so that he can drink the Ambrosia of immortality. Lord Vishnu cuts off his head and they chase the sun and moon, which is why they 'hide' during a solar and lunar eclipse.
Shadows are a mystery, which will never be solved. They follow us in an almost creepy-like way, yet we feel comforted when we're walking down a dark alley knowing that they are around. We can sense someone is following us because of shadows, but yet despite all of this, we take advantage of them.
I don't know whether things would be different if we took them seriously, but think of this simple thought: what if you woke up one day knowing that you don't have one? What will you do then?
Like she has said, we take advantage of the fact that we have shadows.
Unlike mirror images, shadows follow us everywhere.
Mirror images come close as we come closer and move away as we disappear.
Imagine your shape saying, "Ah fuck you. I want to have some fun and destroy you."
If you've played the original Prince of Persia, you'll know what happens. The shadow comes and takes out his sword. You have to put your sword back into your sheath for your shadow to do the same thing. If you choose to fight, you die as soon as you kill your shadow.
If you haven't read the link that I posted at the beginning of the blog, it says that our shadow defines us. It is an extension of us.
Indian mythology told us about shadows. According to legend, the Devas did not have shadows, while the Asuras did. The sun and the moon notice this when the Asura Rahu disguises himself like a Deva, so that he can drink the Ambrosia of immortality. Lord Vishnu cuts off his head and they chase the sun and moon, which is why they 'hide' during a solar and lunar eclipse.
Shadows are a mystery, which will never be solved. They follow us in an almost creepy-like way, yet we feel comforted when we're walking down a dark alley knowing that they are around. We can sense someone is following us because of shadows, but yet despite all of this, we take advantage of them.
I don't know whether things would be different if we took them seriously, but think of this simple thought: what if you woke up one day knowing that you don't have one? What will you do then?
what if you woke up one day knowing that you don't have one - Hahaha! Love that. Also good POP reference :)
ReplyDeleteThe end hits you hard. Can't decide whether we would feel incomplete or whether we wouldn't even notice. Perhaps the lack of shadows is the reason we feel so scared in a completely dark alleyway.
ReplyDelete