Welcome to the world through Uncle Per's eyes.
The Darkest of Winter's Light
The Darkest of Winter’s Light seeks to reveal the way of life of Norwegian people as the seasonal light and darkness descends. My images focus on the life and experiences of people living in Sauda - a town on the Western edges of Norway. Positioned in the northern hemisphere, my birthplace experiences prolonged dark winters, evoking a sense of melancholy and the macabre. The world depicted in my work feels both familiar and alien to me. Uncle Per is featured centrally in my project, having lived in the same house his entire life. His house, which has stayed the same since his parents passed away, becomes a museum allowing us to walk through a different time.
Time is an essential part of my work. I consider the time it takes me to travel from South England to the North (Norway), the time it takes to accept life as it is, and the time it takes to move on from death. While visiting Uncle Per he talked about my grandfather Harry a lot. It was as if he came alive through those stories. The blue room in the house embodies this. My grandfather's bed and bedding remained just as he had left it over ten years ago, never to be touched again. My father asked Uncle Per to take the duvet downstairs. He refused by saying: “But that’s Harry’s bed!”.
"There's something so sad about Scandinavia. It's this ideal part of the world, but it's just so black. It's so fucking sad" - Ragnar Kjartansson, 2016.
THE ARCHIVE
By tidying up the house my grandfather grew up in, a treasure was found; his old film rolls. They became essential to my work and a way for me to honour the artist he was. As he is no longer with us the questions were directed to his wife and brother. So this information is from them.
