Every day in 2010 artist Laurel Nakadate photographed herself before, during, and after she cried as part of an art project called “365 Days: A Catalog of Tears.”
The photos were part of an exercise “that required her to ‘take part in sadness each day’ during the normal course of her life,” wrote gallery owner Leslie Tonkonow, who exhibited Nakadate’s photographs in May 2011.
These photographs were the main source of inspiration for Webcam tears, a new Tumblr blog from artist Dora Moutot that features videos and some photographs of people crying. The blog provided the following explanation for its existence:
“Webcam tears is a project depicting contemporary sadness in an voyeuristic internet era through the medium of the webcam.
“Webcam Tears is a project about internet exhibitionism and loneliness in an time where your best friend is your screen.
“Webcam Tears is an emotional porn channel.”