JANICE JONG – Lonely Metropolis

I have started looking at artists that have explored the loneliness of being in the city. It surprised me to find quite a few artists that were interested in this subject. For me it is absolutely fascinating that there are so many people and the city is so busy but it is such a lonely existence for many. Especially being from a rural area and smaller community where even if the person next to you on the bus is a stranger you would still say hello to them or acknowledge their existence, whereas in cities that just is not how life is.

JANICE JONG

Lonely Metropolis by Janice Jong shows the loneliness one can feel in a city where there are a million things vying for your attention but none of it is actually real. Looking through Janice’s work, you see both the beautiful and the lonely sides of a city. To me, this image shows how city life really is. In this typical city scene, there should be loads of people bustling around you and walking past, but they never acknowledge you or interact with you in anyway so they may as well not be there. This is a highly interesting concept to me and one that I want to investigate within my city project. This work also highlights how many people feel in the city, alone. It is fascinating to think that somewhere with such a massive population can have loneliness but it is coming the norm.

I read an article stating that stated city loneliness was now a health problem up there with high blood pressure, lack of exercise and obesity. Urban loneliness can significantly shorten your life expectancy it is said. Janice Jongs piece also makes me think about how overwhelming the city can be for someone. For me, being a student moving to the city was quite a lonely for a while and I definitely felt slightly overwhelmed by the large buildings etc. I think Janice’s work is a success, it highlights the loneliness of city life and shows exactly what she as trying to state incredibly accurately.

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