Open-end stories: Keeping key elements in the dark
By hiding key elements of the scene, or key features of the subjects, we are in fact inserting gaps in the story – something that the mind cannot accept. This image has been interpreted in so many different ways, since I shared it publicly. The reason is simple: it only tells half of the truth. The subjects are mere silhouettes, whose expressions is hidden and can only be imagined. While the little boy appears to be jumping around, the gloomy light sitting across the dark alley conveys a feeling of ambiguity to the story – revealing too little to establish a clear and common storyline.