Shadowplay by Gabriel Isak

A Parallel Planets piece by Unknown

Inspired by Carl Jung's theory of the shadow self, San Francisco-based Gabriel Isak toys with the idea of the the self and its so-called shadow interacting with each other through a photo series called The Shadow and the Self. I find this body of work to be a clever visual representation of the internal struggles, monologues, and demons we all find ourselves facing once in a while.

Jungian psychology mentions that the shadow, as its name suggests, represents the dark, chaotic, and potentially problematic aspects of an individual. Because this "dark side" is often made up of negative, morally questionable, and often socially unacceptable emotions and impulses -- such as envy, anger, lust, and greed -- we tend to deny it, have it obscured, and kept under the "shadow" of our "real" or conscious self.

As the theory also says that the individual may or may not be aware of this dark side, Gabriel's series looks into what it's like when an encounter between the two selves happens. He establishes this by citing the Jungian concept that largely defined and roused this body of work:

"To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light. Once one has experienced a few times what it is like to stand judgingly between the opposites, one begins to understand what is meant by the self. Anyone who perceives his shadow and his light simultaneously sees himself from two sides and thus gets in the middle."


I find self-explorations (such as Noriko Yabu's Suisou) and interpretations of the self quite interesting, most likely because I am at constant battle with myself and my inner demons. I look at each "interaction" and I see the many different ways that we find ourselves faced with our shadow selves, and ultimately, how we choose to deal with them: do we let them take us by the hand, bind us with anxiety, blind us with negativity, or let them turn us into a totally different and darker version of ourselves?

Visit Gabriel Isak's website to see more of The Self and the Shadow and his other works.