"El Jardin" is inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights," this photograph captures a sense of claustrophobic chaos and introspective discovery. Taken with a fish-eye lens, the image distorts the perspective, enhancing the surreal and enveloping environment. At the center stands a woman in a blue dress, echoing the blue shapes from Bosch’s painting, as she gazes upward, discovering the chaotic world around her.
Beneath the photograph is a handwritten Spanish statement: "el verdadero placer fue conocerte" (the true pleasure was meeting you), with the last two letters crossed out and corrected to "conocerme" (knowing myself). This phrase plays with the dichotomy between what is said and what is meant, reflecting the idea that after meeting someone or experiencing a situation, we often end it politely with "it was nice to meet you," when in truth, we mean "it was nice to know myself in this context."
The photograph explores themes of self-discovery and the internal chaos that mirrors the external world, drawing from the colors, sins, and pleasures depicted in Bosch's painting. It invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of meeting others and understanding themselves within the disorder and beauty of life.
