The Exile of an Idealist

The work is a photographic journey about the conflict between idealism and reality. The concept of idealism is more or less hidden in every individual’s mind instead of bursting out by accident. When the photographer was trapped in the modern city’s life routine, the repetitive shifting of seasons, he gradually realized the surrounding patterns seem stable and still but are actually tensions between changes, changes from either rules or matters. The withered butterfly orchid in the greenhouse still yearning for nature outside; the hanging crawfish still seeking chances of survival; an aged tree still looking forward to blooming; the abandoned Buddha statue still kept its enlightenment; these remaining idealisms would constantly be confronted with the daily environment. After the artist left his familiar daily life, he tried to think and search for the conflicts with the idealism through his journey. This tension exists not only in human society but also in the natural environment. This kind of tension is not generated out of hostility or traps but more like a long-term companionship. Therefore, it became the theme of the artist’s exile.