Off-Screen - Illuminations
2022-2023
This exhibition is the culmination of a years work in the Young Photographers Programme at the Henie Onstad Art Center.
The Programme
Young photographers at the Henie Onstad Art Center is an annual mentor-driven program for photographers aged 16 to 19, where new candidates are admitted each year. The program is aimed at youth who wish to delve into the field of photography, envisioning further education and a career in photography. The program covers the entire process from creating a photograph, developing an independent perspective, and ultimately participating in an exhibition.
The Process
For me it all began with taking pictures, I began carrying around my camera everyday with me. The goal was to bring new photos to show for every meeting with the other participants and the mentors, and to hopefully figure out a direction for a project.
As time was going by I still didn’t have a specific project in mind yet i had taken a lot of good photos that I liked. With the help of different mentors, I decided to focus on those photos that were good and see if i could create a series out of them. The concept behind them would naturally appear and connect the photos.
It required a lot of trial and error, and creative thinking to figure out what photos fit together and which didn’t. A good practice was to print the photos and hang them up on walls to better visualize.
When I took new photos I would print them as well and see how their addition might affect the other photos. This is something that I still practice now, which helps to get a better understanding in how to pair different photos.
A lot of my work also happens in Lightroom, where you can also very quickly see how different photos can complement or contrast each other without having to print them out.
The photos were professionally curated by the Henie Onstad Art Center.
Everything from the type of paper, frame and presentation took a lot of thought and effort in this project.
The photo series "Illuminations" revolves around observations that fascinate me in my everyday life; things in reality that are peculiar and obscure. I document the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of my daily life. When I capture the image, I solely focus on the subject, eliminate all other distractions, take it out of its context, and place it in a different light. By removing the subject from its original context, it can create something unknown and supernatural.
