Gaistaz. serves as a visual exploration into the predicament of today’s youth; despite quality of life being the best it has been in modern history, the prevalence and severity of mental illness raises some difficult questions. Why is it that mental health is a war we seem to be losing? Are we a lost generation?
Note: Born from a place of empathy, Gaistaz explores heavy topics and grapples with the aestheticisation of pain. While I do not often feel the need to explain myself or my work, often shrouding my intentions in esotericism, my older work is not as well documented nor are my thoughts on them.
Having a coloured history with mental health and the sensation of being lost, Gaistaz was conceived from the feelings and experiences of traversing some of the darkest chasms of depression. Video-games and the fantasy genre offer a wealth of visual references for depicting the otherworldly. This served as the basis for considering the aesthetics of a lost generation through a series of implicit visual cues.
(2020) Location: Mt Kaukau Summit. Wellington, New Zealand. Model: Trantham Gordon. Photography: Simon L Wong Clothing and Styling: Matthew Bartram Assistance: Yumoi, and Maddy Smith