All the Madmen: A Junior Narrative Diptych by Elize Manoukian (2011)

In the first panel of my diptych, a young man in hospital fatigues is shown to be seated on the floor. His shoes lie next to him, yet he remains hesitant to put them on. In the second, the same young man is shown standing upright in a doorway. In the foreground is an operating table and other medical equipment. The overall tone of the first photo is cold and blue, while the second has warmer colors.

The story told in the first photo is the young man grappling with his own sanity. His attire is associated with that of a patient, and the color of the shot, as well as the blank and empty walls and floor, conveys the sterility and isolation of an asylum. The shoes placed next to him represent a choice in his path: to stay and receive treatment or escape. The first option would be acceptance of his mental condition, but could also provide the care that he needs. Yet the character opts for the second choice, as demonstrated by the second frame, where we see him reach the point of no return. The shot captures a moment of final hesitance before he retreats toward the light.