National Photography Month: Journey Gong
Gravity © Journey Gong
Written by Andy Dion
Envisioning the future is an age-old practice. We have, by now, hypothesized countless futures in stories and art. Journey Gong posts in his project, 2121, that our imagined futures, in a way, reflect our present. Barren expanses of plains lit by giant streetlights, clear blue waters pierced by skyscrapers, and otherworldly yet uncannily vintage flying saucers occupy space in Gong’s dreamlike future.
A century stands between the current 2021 and Gong’s 2121, yet the future depicted in the series feels close. Gong envisions a future of healing nature. There is no sight of smog or industry in 2121, yet signs of life and inhabitants are plentiful. By combining travel photos and CGI models of futuristic structures, Gong achieves dazzling setpieces both futuristic and naturalistic. Instead of projecting scenes of bleak grey cities a la Blade Runner or war torn planetary territories from Star Wars, the future of 2121 appears quiet and serene, almost utopic. Minimalistic buildings levitate over lush green, sparing the fresh soil from the harsh penetration of construction. These modular units appear alien yet kinder to the planet.
Solaris © Journey Gong
Farscape © Journey Gong
The landscapes pictured in 2121 contemplate a looming ecological consciousness. Gong situates his shots peering over vast tracts of sea and fields, enveloping the frame with the sky’s breathy blue or ecru thistles of dried grass. Human subjects explore the natural splendor of these scenes and dwarfs in comparison to their futuristic dwellings. Colors appear so crisp and airy which adds to the surreal future Gong envisions. Images captured in the daylight are adorned in unencumbered light, sometimes sprinkled with dewy mountain or seaside mists. The duskier photographs in the series exhibit a clarity, for when fog is present in 2121, it is naturally occurring.
Gong displays the grand scale of his futuristic machinations by also including human subjects in the images. In one such photograph, two paddleboarders float in a gorgeous blue ocean, surrounded by their own triangular, pool-like separators. Devices such as these are foreign and puzzling, but that undefined mythology lets the imagination wander. In another shot, a hulking egg-shaped building stands over a rocky shore as star shaped flying vessels fly around. There is a sense of foreboding in the sheer scale of the alien designs, yet these puzzling tools fascinate more than anything. They are traces of a future we cannot yet anticipate or fear.
The Vast of Night © Journey Gong
The Voyage Home © Journey Gong
Journey Gong seems to be unconcerned with demystifying or soothsaying the future in 2121, but rather, dream it — ponder it. We have historically projected our current times onto the future through film and literature for centuries and this series of photos contains our present condition in its treatment of nature. The unity of Gong’s rendered futuristic structures and agrarian settings shows an unexplainable yet hopeful world one century down the line. Still, our imaginary futures continue to confound us as we inch our way through the unknown.
To view more of Journey’s work, visit his website
