A worn-out artist is sitting in the middle of a grungy diner, bathed in the study, melancholic neon light that casts long shadows across his weathered face. There’s a plate of half-eaten bacon on the checkered tablecloth in front of him, reminding everyone about the old American diner culture. There is a wood element, xylan, not only on neighboring tables and chairs but also as a rough-textured wall behind the artist covered in mind soothing, warm olive green.
The frame is in a delicately balanced composition, the artist occupying the one-third from the right while the rest is filled with diminishing depth of the diner, filled with empty chairs and a lonely waitress. The defocused background contrasts with the artist, who is in sharp focus, accentuating his emotional isolation.
The camera captures this scene from a slightly high angle, the artist’s determined gaze directed at the unseen point below the camera’s plane, making the viewers appreciate the relentless struggle in the artist’s journey.
A slow dolly move gives the perception of time passing slowly, creating an atmosphere that is both nostalgic and heavy with anticipation. The viewers are left with a unique, nostalgic reminiscence of a time and space not theirs, completing the picture of the artistic struggle of an artist in a world where they feel neglected, yet remain undaunted.