I Don’t Know How to Feel: Contrasting the Serene and the Disturbing
This photo was taken on a day that profoundly changed American culture. 9/11 was a horrific tragedy that has been the source of huge amounts of pain and suffering for those affected by the terrorist attacks. Depictions of the aftermath of 9/11 are usually somber and reverent. The tone is almost always one of deep pain and fear. That’s why this photo is so disturbing. It shows several New Yorkers seemingly blissfully unaware of the events taking place behind them. It shows a brief glimpse at the way life was before the attacks changed lives forever.
I put together a short video that captures my experience viewing this photo. I chose to focus on the sudden shifts between the happy, warm feelings evoked by the group of friends and the fear and destruction shown by the smoke in the background. This combination of emotions in the video is meant to be disturbing and unsettling for the viewer.
