The Concrete Aches For You

concrete often gets villainized and mistaken for being an accounting factor of what constitutes a liminal space. however, it holds more memory than just discomfort. if anything, it resists liminality. it is not the lost space between moments but the stage upon which they lived.

touch, petrichor, time

why should you be afraid?

as overbearing and overscaled as it may be, is it not just a means of honesty?

the sun had been out the whole day, and the azure beams shined directly on you.

when i placed my hand on you, i was greeted with warmth;

your absorbency reflects all of us

all we do is give and take, and it’s a cyclical exchange of words, feelings, ideas, and instructions that fill the void in our headspaces before we either forget or remember.

like you, i am unyielding but very tender

like you, people always tell me that they’re talking to a wall

we’re not much different, except i have the human agency to conceal intent:

in adolf loos’ ornament & crime, he stresses material honesty. that is, materials applied should reflect how they naturally behave, reinforcing the relationship between form and function.

i.e. wood should not be painted like marble. metal should not be painted like wood. the logic of construction—bolts, joinery, beams, should be celebrated, not tucked away.

skin grafts aren't made with tanned leather, and it would be a misappropriation to do so.

so be sincere with yourself!

i feel like, as boys, there is always a dishonest, cladded facade that needs to be slowly peeled back and dismantled. in some cases, this facade does provide safety, but to what extent of your constant uneasiness?

however, this is the human factor, after all.

but possibly, as alone as you may be, in the vastness of our concrete superstructures—across city centres, monuments, and unassuming government buildings,

i hope you can take them as the universal sign of earnestness.

photography: Jeffrey Jin

model: Ian Saejun Smith

text & editing: Dane A.

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