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儿童安睡之处:詹姆斯·莫里森的感人摄影作品

亚马逊雨林与凯苏特沙漠和第五大道奢华生活有何关联?

继今天上午对儿童阅读和学习场所的致敬之后,我们又饶有兴致地关注起他们的睡眠场所。这正是出生于肯尼亚、在英国长大、现居威尼斯的纪实摄影师詹姆斯·莫里森(James Mollison)在其作品《孩子们睡觉的地方》(Where Children Sleep)中所探讨的主题。这组非凡的系列作品通过拍摄儿童卧室的肖像,捕捉了世界各地儿童生活的多样性,以及他们之间常常存在的差距。该项目最初旨在探讨儿童权利,后来逐渐演变成对贫困与特权的深刻反思。其56幅作品涵盖了从尼泊尔的采石场到中国的农业省份,再到第五大道上的富丽堂皇的富人区。

从一开始,我就不想仅仅关注发展中国家的“贫困儿童”,而是想呈现一个更具包容性的主题,关注来自各种境遇的儿童。拍摄孩子们本人,但要将他们从卧室中抽离出来,并使用中性背景,这似乎也很有意义。”——詹姆斯·莫里森

或许最有趣的是,这本书的编写和设计初衷是作为一本同理心工具,帮助 9 至 13 岁的儿童更好地了解世界各地其他儿童的生活,但对于成年读者来说,它也是一本关于人权的感人摄影散文。

7 岁的 Indira 在一家花岗岩采石场工作,和她的父母、兄弟和姐妹住在尼泊尔加德满都附近的一间单间房子里。

4岁的茉莉参加过100多场儿童选美比赛,住在肯塔基州乡村的一栋大房子里。

一位4岁的罗马尼亚男孩和家人住在罗马郊区,共用一张床垫。

8岁的贾斯汀喜欢踢足球、打篮球和棒球。他住在新泽西州一栋四居室的房子里。

艾莉莎和家人住在阿巴拉契亚山脉的一栋小木屋里。

8岁的阿赫克塞特属于克拉霍部落,居住在巴西的亚马逊河流域。

9岁的董和他的父母、妹妹、祖父住在一个房间里,他们在中国云南省种植水稻和甘蔗。

9岁的德莱妮梦想成为一名时装设计师,她和父母以及弟弟妹妹住在新泽西州的一栋大房子里。

9 岁的茨维卡和他的兄弟姐妹们住在西岸一个名为贝塔尔·伊利特的封闭式正统犹太社区的一套公寓里,共用一个卧室。

9岁的杰米和他的父母以及三个兄弟姐妹住在纽约第五大道顶层的一套公寓里。他们家另外两处房产分别位于西班牙和汉普顿。

10岁的龙太是一位相扑冠军,和家人一起住在东京。

12 岁的拉明和几个男孩一起睡在塞内加尔村庄古兰经学校的房间里。

11岁的乔伊7岁时猎杀了他的第一只鹿,他和家人住在肯塔基州。

14 岁的伊尔凯纳是肯尼亚半游牧的伦迪勒部落的一员,他和母亲住在凯苏特沙漠的一个临时住所里。

14 岁的普雷娜是尼泊尔的一名家政工人,住在加德满都她工作的房子阁楼里一个像牢房一样的房间里。

14 岁的埃里恩在里约热内卢贫民窟的家中,一直睡在地板上,直到怀孕后期才换到睡地板的地方。

15岁的Risa正在接受艺伎训练,她与13位女性在日本京都共用一家茶馆。

Mollisey 由MAPFlatland Gallery代理,并由Chris Boot出版。

《孩子们睡在哪里》让人想起彼得·门泽尔斯(Peter Menzels)以窥视视角通过人们的饮食物品来了解世界的作品,以及尹正美(JeongMee Yoon)通过卧室配色方案来探讨儿童性别认同形成的作品。这本书的夜光封面,类似于《放射性 物质》(Radioactive ),更是锦上添花,趣味十足。

所有图片均由詹姆斯·莫里森提供,出自《纽约时报》。

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13 PAST RESPONSES

User avatar
Lawrence Carol Sep 24, 2025
I like it!
User avatar
Graeme Stuart May 19, 2013

Some wonderful thought provoking photos. I know things don't make us happy and that the world cannot support the over-consumption of the rich countries - but it is so hard to get put this knowledge into practice.

User avatar
BEE Aug 16, 2012

What a great article. I showed this article to my 11 yr old daughter. She was sad & and thought how hectic the world was, as some can be so lucky & other live in such hectic conditions...I asked her if she thought that she is lucky herself for staying in a beautiful 3 bedroom home herself, being the only child. She said yes but still felt sad. i told her that live is what you make of it & that she has unlimited potential to become whatever she wanted to be in the world...she smiled & said she wanted to help the world people & children from this kind of sadness...
Maybe we have the next female president of south Africa coming up...yeah!
B

User avatar
Heatha blue Aug 6, 2012

ugh the contrast makes me cringe.   I am American but I now have 2 more reasons to stay away from Kentucky...blah.  I look forward to reading the book, though.  It is thought provoking.  I love photography.  What I wonder is if the photographer asked the children if they were happy.  

User avatar
Arlene7 Mar 24, 2012

And there are no smiling, happy children here.  Most photographers ask for a smile.  Why not here??  The rich seem more miserable than the poor but they are all so stoic. 

User avatar
Arundebnath, London Oct 19, 2011

Great photos that tell a trillion and one stories. From my recent experience in Kolkata, India, I think this book should have included at least one children's home on the very very busy footpath [with almost no path at all] on very very congested streets of Kolkata. Children are born and reared in such "foot-path homes". One must see with one's eyes to believe and comprehend but not noticed by the government, politicians and most importantly, the intellectual middle-classes of Kolkata [its sons and daughters are scattered all over the world enjoying life to the fullest - at whose cost ?, I wonder ! 

User avatar
Psranjal Sep 12, 2011

At least if the children of Haves start appreciating their blessings over the children of Have Nots this will serve some purpose.  However will they ever understand the hunger pangs, feeling of insecurity, problems of child pregnancy............ God Save this world from the most cruel......i.e. the selfish human being.  ( I do not want to refer animals as cruel, because they do every thing for their survival or when they are threatened.  Whereas a highly evolved(?) animal called human being more often does whatever he feels like for entertainment , self gratification etc coming out of selfish thoughts.

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Dwayne Henshilwood Sep 10, 2011

Its hard to measure  privilege but easy to compare, and that comparison is uncomfortable from my comfortable home !

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bluebuddha Sep 9, 2011

A thought-provoking article. Nothing shows the disparity and the diversity of the world like the places where people rest their head at night, especially children. Thanks for bringing awareness to this.

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Tara Gill Sep 9, 2011

Amazing photographs. The one thing that occurs to me is that North Americans assume (not all) that just because we have more money and fancy stuff in our rooms that we are better off. I beg to differ. Who do you think are the happiest people here?

User avatar
Holy sadness batman Sep 9, 2011

All poster children for birth control.  Made me really sad.  Especially the American kids.  The planet needs a good pandemic.  Sad for the world.  We're all just creepy animals overpopulating the world.

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Yvonneefernando Sep 9, 2011

Thought provoking and insightful.  Its hard to say much..

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Neil Sep 9, 2011

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case it's ten thousand...