Flood
Now I am going to tell you about the photograph Flood from 2009. I found the lovely girls in the photo, Elina and Outi, in a dance class. I go to dance classes because I search for physicality, kind of like I do in my images.
I found this forest, which is blue, in the Natural History Museum in Helsinki and took it under water. I started looking for colors suited to this place, sort of like creating a painting. I see a rescue taking place in the photograph: it is like there is a fire in the forest, and one person is saving the other, carrying them in their arms.
Birthday
The photograph Birthday, afmæli in Icelandic, was shot in Iceland in 2007. I was influenced by the 1988 song Birthday by the Sugarcubes, in which Björk sings about a girl who is five years old. The girl explores the world around her using her mouth and her hands.
I find similarities between that and this image. The location was very earthy, dirty and interesting, very strange. The place with the horses was filled with water coming from a hot spring. I imagined that it was the girl’s birthday and that she is important to herself and the most important person that day, and that she has set off to figure things out.
However, in the image we can see the Icelandic phrase hafa lokað which means “keep closed”. I thought it might mean that other people don't always want you to figure out the past.
Rising
I took this photograph, Rising, when living in a residence in Iceland in 2005. I found this house in Hafnarfjörður and knew immediately that I wanted it to be the subject of my photograph. I took off in search of a partner for it and was enchanted by the mysterious eyes of this woman on the bus. I got out at the same stop as her and she agreed to model for me and then climbed in her silver shoes. I imagined the person climbing up rapids, in a way.
Treasure
This is my latest work, which is being exhibited for the first time, and this is why I am talking about it to you for the first time.
I found a lovely old Fazer chocolate box at a flea market and knew immediately that there was something meaningful about it. I recognized the feeling of departure and the turquoise water and wanted to make a story about it. I often observe girls and ask them to be in my photos. Olivia, who is in this photo, was already very good at posing. And I found it funny when she said: “Now I know what this is. This is like acting.” She said it as she moved gracefully under water.
Thank you, Olivia, and thank you, ducks.
Mykines
How are stories born? Wind brings the story and the colors. I made this encounter white, as if someone was dressing to fade away.
The mist in the Faroe Islands is also hiding the person. Where are they going? Do you know The Invisible Child by Tove Jansson? I was thinking about that too.
