About one year ago, I listened to a song named The Room by the swedish singer and musician Miss Li. The song starts with these words:
There is a room where no one can hurt us.
There is a room where no one can get us.
and continues like this:
There is a place where the wolves can´t harm us.
There is a place where the darkness can´t reach us.
Let´s go there now.
These words made a huge impact on me. The whole song is dramatic and dark and beautiful, like a lullaby for grown ups. This image popped right into my head the first time I heard it. It´s not often that a song or an artwork hits me like this, but I´m so happy when it does. Ever since I started producing images for my series Finding Peace in 2011, the topic of finding your own space in a chaotic world, finding the right balance between integrity and isolation, and feeling safe enough to be able to relax, has been the most important topic that I´ve been working with so far. This image is a step in a new direction, away from my series Finding Peace, in which I use a big bubble to symbolize what separates us from the world. I wanted to take one more step and let the whole body be surrounded by this reflective surface. I wanted the character to be wholly enclosed by a wall of glass.
When I got the chance last fall to inherit a huge fish tank, I didn´t hesitate for a second. I heard about this huge tank and that it was actually going to be throwed away. I couldn´t let this happen, ofcourse :D as I had this image all planned in my head, just waiting for the right circumstances to start the process of creating it. So I got my parents and amazing boyfriend to help me transport this heavy fish tank to my familys country house, where we used a LOT of tarp to protect it from rain and cold (we had to put it outside). Since then I´ve been doing three different photo shoots, trying different lenses, costumes and angles. I finally found the right feeling in the picture, and when I photographed the starry sky to composite into the picture, I could complete my vision!
To me, this is an incredible important image. It´s about finding sanctuary, a small safe place in a troubling world. It´s about protecting yourself, taking care of the treasure that is you. You have only yourself. You have to take care of that self. Isolation as a condition for being left alone, in peace.
You can listen to the song here.
Some behind the scenes photos:
No comments:
Post a Comment