Photo Gallery: Private Moments in Public Places

By Judy Berman

Jan. 9, 2012

Does living in cities bring us closer to others, or does it, paradoxically, isolate us among the throngs that make up a lonely crowd? That’s the question South Korea-based photographer Eric Perriard’s Urban Souls brings to mind, with its images of solitary citizens wandering around a Seoul cityscape that is otherwise devoid of human life. A response to the news that, since 2008, more people have lived in metropolitan areas than rural places, the photos attempt to capture moments of isolated contemplation — and even reverie — that might seem impossible in the midst of a populous city. But, as Perriard writes, they also betray the bias of the photographer: “[A]s I embarked upon this work, I realized that I was photographing my own perception of these situations. I wanted to describe a moment of stillness in a hasty daily life.” Click through to see a selection of photos from the series, and visit Perriard’s website to learn more about his work.