Passing time: on the lost art of hanging out
Sage Sohier's photography from the 1980s remind us of simpler times
A few weeks ago, I shared a photo by Robert Doisneau of two kids doing a handstand in the streets of Paris in 1934. That’s not a scene I typically see nowadays and that got me thinking: nobody hangs out like that anymore.
In the work of mid 20th century photographers, it’s common to see kids hanging out in the street. These scenes are less common today. We see less of these photos, in part, because contemporary street photographers are taking less photos of children, for good reason. But ‘hanging out’ is becoming a lost art.
Between our screens, endless scrolling possibilities, and cities built for living alone, the potential for isolation has never been this strong. It’s easier than ever to spend multiple days between four walls alternating between a phone screen, a computer, and a TV. Maybe even a VR headset. I’m part of the last generation to know life without smart phones and social media. I’m old enough to remember a time when it was acceptable to just show up to someone’s home. Today, we find it strange to receive a call out of the blue, let alone a friend showing up to your home.
Passing time
American photographer, Sage Sohier, published a monograph titled Passing Time in 2023. Her images are like a time capsule showing us the hang outs of past times. In the introduction of the book, she writes:
“During the isolation of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to revisit my archive of negatives and contact sheets from the 1980s, and discovered a number of interesting images that I had never printed. These photographs were made between 1979-1985 in a pre-digital, largely un-air-conditioned era, when people fled the heat of their houses to hang out in their yards and on the street. I notice a kind of relaxed sensuality in many of the pictures. Time moved more slowly; restlessness led to spontaneous play.”
There’s a certain joy captured in her images that just can’t be recreated in the metaverse. They’re a stark reminder of the importance of community and human connection in a digital age. It’s a tribute to simpler times. The images remind me of endless summer hang outs.
All is not lost. I know a few hang out spots where time can come to a stand still.
Nuweiba: the chill zone
On two separate occasions, foreign friends who were visiting Egypt made an observation about laid back hang outs. “You’ve made chilling an art” is what a friend told me once while drinking lemonade on a beach in Sinai. We were spending a few days in Nuweiba, a place where hang outs are the main activity. Days are spent chit chatting away and drinking tea, nights are spent around the fire listening to music. I agree with my friend. It’s the ultimate chill zone and a celebration of the slow life. Everything takes more time: you take longer to get ready in the morning, your meals last longer, and a few hours after arriving, even your speech slows down and softens.
The ultimate hang out, if that’s what you’re looking for, is AfrikaBurn. But that’s a story for another time.
Thanks for reading, see you next week!
I love this piece: A lost art indeed. I don't envy children growing up in todays digitalised world. Though we had our own challenges during out time, at least we had play. This reminds me of an essay I wrote about being a child in a refugee camp.
Mi casa es su casa :)