Photos of Loneliness in New York City

Photographer Luc Kordas first moved from Europe to New York City in 2014 after living in six different countries in six different years. Since then, he has made his living as a photographer while doing street photography for himself. And one of the recurring subjects he has captured is the idea of loneliness in a […]

Photographer Luc Kordas first moved from Europe to New York City in 2014 after living in six different countries in six different years. Since then, he has made his living as a photographer while doing street photography for himself. And one of the recurring subjects he has captured is the idea of loneliness in a big city.

“Loneliness is New York’s leitmotif,” Kordas tells PetaPixel. “This feeling is palpable everywhere in the city—a place filled with 8 million people, many of whom are immigrants and transplants. I witness the isolation and seclusion every day. There are different shades of it.”

“New York keeps surprising me even after almost 4 years of living here,” Kordas says. “I see it as a marriage of heaven and hell. All walks of life from all over the world walk the same streets of Manhattan – this bizarre Tower of Babel is a true feast for a street photographer.

“The city fascinates me one day and makes me think of leaving the other. I know many New Yorkers feel the same way.”

“Ironically, despite New York’s density, it is not hard to feel alone,” says Kordas. “So many people are focused on money or careers, that’s why they come here, there’s little time left for relationships or hanging out.

“William Klein said of New York it is a monument to the dollar. The dollar is responsible for everything, good or bad. Everybody comes for it, no one can resist it. Everyone’s busy.

“Although it isn’t difficult to find company, many of the interactions we have with each other are shallow. It’s easy to be lonely and anonymous in a city like this.”

This series is part of a larger body of work titled “The New York Chronicles.” You can find more of Kordas’ photos on his website and Instagram.

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Image credits: Photographs by Luc Kordas and used with permission