More Than Meets the Eye
Sometimes a picture is just that – a beautiful thing to look at, framed on the wall. Other times, it tells a unique story to every beholder, taking the meaning of the motif in another direction than what the artist intended. I experience artworks in both senses – sometimes it's just sheer beauty, other times it speaks to me on a more emotional level.
In this collection, I have chosen pictures that – at least for me – carry their own beauty, but also have some underlying stories. There's more than meets the eye.
I hope you'll enjoy!
Unbroken
Porcelain can be the victim of a single wrong move, yet it can endure for centuries. This duality is a source of endless fascination to me. In this picture, I have tried to capture the contradiction between its fragility and its ability to withstand the test of time.
Birds of a Feather
Even though one is a bird and the other a human, the two figures in the image mirror each other. What captivates me about this motif is that we all have the opportunity to reflect ourselves in something that, at first glance, may not look like us.
Out of Frame
At first glance, this appears to be a classic scene; but on closer inspection, things are a little askew. The house sits a bit too close to the road, the light in the window appears to come from the outside, the moon seems almost too large, and, upon closer look, the animal in front is neither a cat nor a dog. Something feels out of frame - or perhaps something is happening just beyond it.
Set Piece
Yet another scene that isn't what it seems. At first, it presents a serene cityscape. However, some of the houses resemble stage sets, and the background appears to be assembled from fragments. As Shakespeare wrote, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” To take it down a notch, my granddaughter suggested that it looks like an advent calendar, with treats behind every square. That's another way to view life!
Listen, the Stars Are Singing
Almost every night, my granddaughter is sung to sleep with the classic Danish lullaby 'Solen er så rød mor,' a quiet song told from the child's perspective, registering the sounds from outside, such as 'listen, mom, the little cat is meowing, it wants to be let in' before ending with the child falling asleep with the words 'Listen, the stars are singing, they are singing me to sleep.' I have tried to convey the safety of the house and the 'scary' and strange outdoors in this homage to the beautiful lullaby.
Left
We get into the story when most of it has already happened. Someone has left, and someone has been left behind. Who, what and why remain untold. But we share the feeling of not knowing what's waiting down the street, around the corner, with the person in the picture.
After a rain
Getting caught in the rain is usually not a pleasure. But the moment the rain stops, the sun breaks through to give the clouds a golden tint and you can enjoy the freshness of what feels like a brand-new day, making it almost worth it.
Open ending
There is a definitive feeling to this picture, but also a lot of ambiguity. For some, it might evoke despair, but to me, there is a sense of hope. The sky is bleak; however, the light seems to be breaking through. I appreciate the movie frame-like quality of the image and the stories it suggests without revealing the plot. What do you think has happened—and what might come next?
Lost and Found
Loss is sadly a part of life. The despair can feel endless when you are in the midst of it. But somehow, with time, you can turn away from the bleakness and discover a life still worth living. The sorrow eventually transforms into fond memories of what you once had. You have lost something – or someone – but you have found a way forward.
The omen
There's something ominous about this picture. The orange light in the sky and in the windows, the almost mausoleum-like buildings in the background... or maybe it is just me seeing it as a Scandinavian. In our neck of the woods, a black cat traditionally means bad luck - but I know that they are an omen of good luck in other parts of Europe and the world. So feel free to read your own, more positive story in this picture!
Break of Dawn
Light is a sparse commodity in November in my part of the world. As the first light of dawn breaks at the arrival of a new day, it often feels like magic. The black cat is on its way home while the lights are turning on in the house. It's morning.
Top of Mind
Working with AI can be unpredictable. Sometimes, a small mistake in the prompt will lead you in an unexpected direction. It happened here - but I fell in love with the idea of the connection between the person and the cat and used the result to create this work. I think we all know the someone so preoccupied with an animal, a subject, or a hobby that they almost become one.