Even though I’ve listened to the song Under Pressure more times than I can count, a new phrase stuck out to me recently. Sung by David Bowie, the line comes in toward the end of the song, after Freddie Mercury questions why we can’t give love one more chance.
“‘Cuz love’s such an old-fashioned word and love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about the contrast between Bowie’s message and the reality of what he was asking us to do. He dares us to care, even for the people consumed by negativity or rage; for the people beyond our understanding or support; even for the people seeking out and spreading hate. It’s an easy thing to say we should love everyone, even the undeserving, but it’s arduous and painful to actually do it.
In this image, I wanted to show that contradiction by fading an optimistic yellow into an obscured russet hue. But even though the background and foreground fade into darkness, a bold message remains: Love dares you to care.
Heather Michelle Tipton 