T.A.O.
In today’s world, I often find myself walking down this pathway of life blindly. For in these ever-changing and continually post-modern times, we find ourselves being granted with a newfound sense of freedom and independence.
Such a luxury was rare for the generations that preceded us, whose own lives were often sculpted and dictated by the higher forces of piety, filiality, and the cultures before them. Today’s world has seen such constraints loosen their grip over time – to which the duty of orchestrating the direction of our lives has been steered back onto ourselves. I can’t help but find the humour in it all, that in this new time of autonomy and independence, we are but left increasingly confused; riddled by the anxieties of modern life.
The veil that you see before you symbolises this new way of life. That freedom, in all of its sparkling wonder and beauty, also finds a way to blind us. This veil, this newfound sovereignty, is but a paradox, for the irony of it all is that our freedom is also our greatest constraint. That with no sense of direction from a greater being or force, we no longer have the road before us paved - instead, we are left stranded in the ocean of life; our lone ship drifting aimlessly amongst the currents, currents that we hope to bring us to land, but lead us only further into desolation.
Life then, has had its meaning and purpose stripped away from itself – for too often do we find ourselves unsure of the virtue of the choices we make, of the destination that lay before us, and whether there is even a destination at all.
Yet on closer inspection, one can see that even with the veil draped across our eyes, we still are granted with the ability to see through it. It is true that our freedom is our greatest condemnation, but this curse is also a blessing. That in this new age of limitless freedom, purpose itself seems to be found in creating our own constraints and disciplines over ourselves.
Now authors of our own lives, we must no longer flow with the current, but instead carve our own pathways in this world. Be it an artist of life, the leader of a new generation, or whatever we see fit, we must now take the responsibility of navigating through life through our own accord – perhaps only then, do we discover the value of our freedom.
This project was also the feature of my first solo show, ‘T.A.O.’, which debuted at Off the Kerb Gallery in Collingwood, Melbourne, on January 17, 2020.
Film by @tgjerome
Artwork, Direction, and Writing by Joshua Sim
@the.dr1fter
Featuring Prince Del
@princesanitty
Assisted by Titan Debirioun & Samuel Del
@titan.debirioun
@reversedvission
Threads by Design by Jude
@designbyjude