In my new series of photographs, I have created a realm where events and
incidents intertwine into a story, where each photograph is like a scene in a film.
The story takes place in the near future and the works are joined by the theme of
resistance and defense, a wish upon the moon, and the legend of Joan of Arc.
The works are photographed in solitary and puissant landscapes, reminiscing of
Ansel Adam's early landscape photography. In one of the works a knight in full
armor is contemplating the scenery of a mountain lake in the moonlight. Black
swans approach on the lake, as if they are carrying an omen of something
extraordinary and sinister yet to come. All is calm and quiet, like in the eye of the
storm. The silence is tangibly present in these works and there are references to
classic silent movies, film noir, as well as cinematic sceneries from the wild west.
In another work, there is a clear reference to Ingmar Bergman’s film The Seventh
Seal. The photograph is taken at the beach where the Death comes to collect the
knight. As the knights arrive to the beach at twilight, the lingering atmosphere is
the same as in Bergman’s film. The moon is recurring as a light in the dark and as
a utopian place in space.
I have explored the image of the legend of Joan of Arc and how she has been
portrayed in film, theater, photographs, paintings and sculptures. The knights are
examining the role as The Maid of Orléans. The armor becomes a symbol and a
protection to reside in the world, but it is also heavy, crude and awkward. Roses
with their thorns ensnare around the knight’s armor and the red velvet is a
contrast to the cold silver plating.
The knights are united and ride next to each other in the deserted scenery - the
battle has not yet taken place, rather awaiting what is next to come. The title of the
exhibition, The Great Silence, sets the tone in all of the works. The photographs
tell a story of existentiality, about a search for something other, an ambience in
our present and an apprehension of our mortality.
My images are chimeric, dreamlike sceneries with a filmic storytelling.
I think a lot about the hues and light in my images to bring references to historical
paintings to mind.