He crammed a lifetime of experience in to 23 short years, and what most people wouldn't give to be as creative, as charming and as entertaining as the marvellous Dan Eldon, whose work has changed the life of many, myself included.
'The Journey is the Destination' unconciously attacks the notion of capitalism and discourages the plight of capitalist man, illustrating the beauty and lessons that can be learnt from travelling, from the ability to see beyond the selfish concerns of the modern world. It both challenges first world notions through the use of startling, yet beautiful visions of forgotten Africa and opens reader's eyes up to the marvels that can be discovered on this sprawling earth, if only we peer a little harder.
Similar to such artists as Candy Jernigan and Sabrina Ward Harrison, he effectively and subtly uses various mediums to explore his emotions and display his interests. His early pages and his inital trips around his beloved Africa use colour and complex collages to best illustrate the complexity of the continent. In contrast, the final pages filled with war stricken images of Somalia, are simple and shocking, and this best explores the nation in which his final breathe was taken, and perhaps Dan's belief that no collage could or should dress and reduce the immensity of the images and the horrors of hate.
There is always a distance placed between the imaginative and slightly wacky Eldon and the reader, and Dan Eldon's belief that 'I share my house with my room mate, I'll share my book with you, but my head is my own' rings true in the work.
I do however, wish there some way in which we could know where and what part of his life he was in when writing journal portions, though most parts are evident by the abudent and colourful pictures and art.
Whilst we can never entirely know what he was thinking or the personal significance of the images in the piece, I consider myself lucky to be given the opportunity to glance into this amazing character's mind, if only for a mere two hundred and fifty pages.
Equally, I would consider you unwise to pass up the opportunity to do so.
We all have the ability to minimize our flaws and enhance our strengths. Dan reminds us of this. We have the ability to see beyond the ordinary to glimpse the majestic miracle of being alive. This book is filled with the dreams and reflections of a true romantic hero, a war correspondent willing to put his own life on the line to deliver the truth. It is a book of light and shadow, and rather than telling people what to think, Dan offered his own perspective.
This is a book for people of all ages because it removes the linearity from time, from age and development, and proves that the length of a life, in this case, twenty-two years, is a cross section of eternity. My perspectives on life and death have changed because the images in this book are so powerful.
You will find something new every time you open this book, if you look. You will be amazed, and grateful that Dan took the time to record so much. You might get the fever to start doing this on your own. This book spans the gamut of human emotion, and there is something in it for everyone.
