Escape from Mundanity is a collection of moments encountered in my pursuit of beauty within the capricious context of the modern cityscape. It chronicles the frictions I experience navigating urban environments – managing fatigue and the constant desire for escape, and reclaiming a sense of focus amidst overstimulation in an age of increased distraction, disillusionment, and isolation. The process of finding levity in chaos; ultimately striving for a state of acceptance, presence, and appreciation for myself and what surrounds me.

It begins with the observation of the city as it appears. Documenting its scale and the beauty it offers on the surface with an almost blissful ignorance of what lies beneath. 

Fatigue begins to set in and through tired eyes the cityscape takes on a new form. One that is less appealing than what it first appeared to be. The toll of living in Metropolis begins to reveal itself through an endless undulation between overstimulation and escapism which prompts me to desire placing physical distance between myself and the city I inhabit. This is the true escape. One that instead of providing the surface level comforts of stagnant respite, offers a chance to truly isolate, heal, and recharge. To surround myself with greenery and silence. A grounding break, taken with the hopes of understanding how to more intentionally navigate an unsettling environment.

A green path unfolds beneath my feet

Trodden before, no doubt

I am walking with purpose

Silence, levity

I feel familiar 

I feel like home

The return to the city takes the form of a jolt. A reckoning that doesn’t occur all at once, but a thousand times scattered across various distorted mirages. My soul clings to the familiarity of quiet and my mind clashes with the commercial frenzy that surrounds me. The urban hallucinations that characterize my return to Metropolis are beautiful and intoxicating. It is through them that I am able to begin recalibrating; yearning to reach a level of presence that I don’t take for granted before I tire and the pattern repeats itself.

Visually translating this cycle into this book and these supporting art pieces has blessed me with such immense feelings of gratitude, pride, and satisfaction. Each idea or decision of equal importance whether it arrived in a moment of clarity or as a result of an onslaught of overthinking. I hope you can enjoy the product of many evenings, both alone and shared. Thank you for being here.