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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifteen: Making travel portraits that define personality and character. > Dreamer, Central Market, Pakse, Laos, 2005
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Dreamer, Central Market, Pakse, Laos, 2005

One of my favorite portraits, this image portrays a child who seems to be in another world at this moment. The sleek lines of the motorbike he uses as a resting place contrast to the timeless market baskets stacked behind him. There is a relaxed dreaminess to his expression in the way he holds his arms, and rests his head on the huge seat of the motorbike. The image is rich in human values because it speaks of children and adults at the same time. It also speaks of past and present. The baskets represent tradition; the bike is very much a symbol of the present. He will, no doubt, inherit both worlds.


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Phil Douglis11-Dec-2005 01:42
Thanks, Carol. I will enjoy looking at your Vietnam images, and I am sure this Laotian image brought back many memories for you. Southeast Asia is one of the most delightful travel destinations in the world. This portrait is an appropriate metaphor for a country, indeed-- an entire continent -- that is full of dreams.
Phil Douglis17-Apr-2005 03:44
Thanks, Tim, for this fascinating observation. Now that you mention it, the handlebar of the motorbike does look like a gun. But our little dreamer does not seem to care. Maybe for some this picture might be read as an anti-war metaphor. As you say, this country and its children have seen too much of war.
Tim May16-Apr-2005 18:14
I had to look twice at the upper right hand corner until I was sure that it was the handle bar of the motor bike. My first impression was that it was a gun pointed at the boy. Having been in Laos with you, I was reminded of the violent history which seeped into much of what we saw - the children here have the real fear of land mines planted during the long years of war.
Phil Douglis30-Mar-2005 21:42
Thanks, Jen, for this illuminating comment. I had intended those baskets to represent the world of yesterday and the bike to represent the world of tomorrow, both of which he will no doubt inherit. You go on to define those worlds beautifully -- the baskets as a burden he must learn to bear, and the bike as a dream that may carry him into a new realm. You also interpret his expression eloquently. Like many of the children I photographed in Laos and Burma, he seems wise beyond his years in spite of his vulnerability and innocence. As you can see, this is more than a picture of a child. It is a picture of a society in change. Thanks again, Jen, for posting this insightful commentary.
Jennifer Zhou30-Mar-2005 11:11
Yes Phil, this is one of my favorite too! You abstract the boy so well and everything in the picture helps to tell the story. Motorbike and market basket stack are only partially included in the picture and that emphasizes how small this boy is. lying on the seat of the motorbike indicates he is still too small to be on his own and has to depend on his parents. But your picture already suggested the life and reality ahead of the boy, yes I feel the bitterness because I see all those burden like the baskets behind him he has to learn to carry; and I can also see a trace of hope that he may someday ride off this very same motorbike and find his own new world. We can never tell and that is the charm of this picture, full of possibility and mixed feelings. We can never see enough of it! And the boy's expression is another gift to the picture, innocent, shy but somewhat maturer than his age. I always wanna learn to take pictures for children, you really taught me a lot with this picture. Thanks Phil! I am so amazed how you made such powerful statment with this child portrait!!!!

Jen
monique jansen27-Feb-2005 10:17
A very poignant portrait Phil. Dreamy, but still real.
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