• Top-left: Individual Gaze in a Classical ContextThe photo features an elderly person with gray hair leaning on a traditional Chinese stone railing, with the eaves of classical architecture and modern passers-by in the background. The carved details of the railing (such as the patterns on the column tops) highlight the spatial attribute of a Chinese garden or historical block. The elderly person’s posture conveys a quiet observation of the surroundings, forming a “dialogue between the individual and the environment” in the classical scene and reflecting the humanistic warmth in the historical space.

• Top-right: A Daily Moment in a Street MarketIt focuses on a middle-aged man smoking near a commercial street, with bustling shops and crowds in the background. The man’s casual posture and the lively street scene behind him present a slice of ordinary urban life, showing the vitality and triviality of the city’s commercial area.

• Bottom-right: Labor and Urban MaintenanceA sanitation worker is cleaning the street by the water. The black-and-white tone emphasizes the labor scene. The worker’s professional clothing and cleaning tools highlight his identity as an urban service provider, and the act of cleaning reflects the daily maintenance of the city’s appearance.

• Bottom-left: Social Interaction in a Leisure SpaceSeveral elderly people gather and interact by the lake. The black-and-white color scheme gives a sense of tranquility. The scene by the water and the casual postures of the elderly show the leisure and social life of urban residents in public spaces, reflecting the relaxed side of city life.

Formal Language and Stylistic Features

Theme and Emotional Expression

The work focuses on a running girl, whose dynamic movement contrasts sharply with the blurred street background. This contrast highlights both the vivid vitality of childhood and the disorder and alienation of the urban environment. Moriyama elevates this ordinary street moment into a metaphor for urban survival: the girl’s run is both a release of youth and an implication of the anxiety and uncertainty in post-war Japanese society. This sense of contradiction is a microcosm of the themes of “desire and alienation” in his works.

Creative Concept and Cultural Context

Statement of Intent: Abstract Photography (Working Title: “Fragments of Light, Echoes of Place”)

• Message: My triptych will explore how abstract photography can reveal the hidden beauty of urban and natural environments threatened by overdevelopment. It invites reflection on how we overlook subtle, textural details of our surroundings amid fast-paced, visually cluttered lives—urging a slower, more intentional engagement with the world we risk eroding.
• Audience Response: I want my audience to feel curiosity and quiet wonder, followed by a gentle awareness of the small, abstracted elements that make spaces feel alive. I hope they leave with a desire to pause and notice the “unseen” beauty in their daily environments.
• Inspiration: I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs that isolate textural fragments (like cracked concrete, layered foliage, or refracted light through glass) and use minimal color palettes to emphasize mood over context. I’ll seek work that transforms ordinary scenes into abstract compositions, blurring the line between natural and manmade forms.
• Closing sentence(s): Abstract photography, for me, is a tool to reawaken reverence for the world’s quiet details—details that hold meaning even when stripped of their familiar contexts. By highlighting these fragments, I aim to remind viewers that beauty and significance exist in the spaces we often rush past, and preserving them starts with noticing them.

Setting and Architecture

• The buildings in the background suggest a residential or possibly a small institutional setting. The structure, with a more elaborate, almost whimsical façade, stands out, contrasting with the more modest, single-story house nearby. This mix suggests a location with distinctive architectural character.
• The presence of a greenhouse-like structure (with glass panels) indicates an interest in horticulture or plant cultivation, adding a layer of context about the activities or passions associated with the location.

Landscape and Vegetation

• A tall palm tree dominates the mid – ground, signaling a warm, possibly coastal or subtropical climate, as palm trees are typical of such regions.
• The surrounding vegetation, including bushes and other trees, contributes to a lush, outdoor environment, enhancing the sense of a place with favorable growing conditions.

Human Element

• A man stands on the curb, providing a sense of scale to the scene. His casual attire (a light – colored shirt and dark pants) suggests a relaxed, everyday moment, perhaps during a visit or a routine stop.

Transportation and Time Period

• The vehicle partially visible on the right appears to be from a past era (likely mid – 20th century, judging by its design), which, combined with the black – and – white format, places the photograph in a historical context. This gives a glimpse into transportation and daily life of that time.