Insomniac Dreamscape

I am in love with the abstract. My first photographic passion was using a macro lens to photograph the minuscule unseen treasures of the world we casually walk past every day. The two elements of macro photography that truly fascinated me were texture and form. Eventually I discovered the immense possibilities of working with the human figure and began focusing my attention on using the body as a medium. Due to my very meticulous nature I found the studio to be the best place to explore the sculptural nature of the body without the interference (or contextualization) of a recognizable environment. This has been an incredibly wild and creatively rewarding journey throughout the 16 years that have passed since my very first session with the wonderful Daniela Anzil back in 2001. As I kept pushing myself and experimenting, the work has undergone many transformations with three clear branches emerging in the process:  ‘Flesh & Soul’ – a sculptural and architectural approach, ‘The Human Canvas’ – an abstract, painterly approach and the most recent, ‘Dreamworld’ – a surreal and metaphysical approach.

This past weekend, in the company of the two wonderfully talented models, Lilith Etch and Regina Piil I took another step forward by doing my first outdoor nude photo session. The shoot took place during a photo meet-up organized by my friend, the art photographer Thomas Holm in an old industrial area of Copenhagen. I had been coming off a week of insomnia combined with unsettling strange dreams in the brief periods of what felt like floating in a place in between the waking and dream states. Being hazy and low energy is not generally ideal for a photo session (especially when trying something new) but since I already had to cancel a shoot the following day due to poor weather I was determined to go through with it.

We started the day with a short studio shoot and then went on to our location. When we arrived, I instantly fell in love with the massive metal forms that where piled onto each other like the skeletal remains of an ancient iron giant. The rust and weather wear created a stunning abstract landscape just ripe for creative exploration. I felt like I was returning to my roots where I could now combine the human form with my first love: macro photography. In this space I could approach story telling in a different way, more dynamic, richer and more multi-dimensional than before. Still somewhat lethargic from the lack of sleep but at the same time pumped full of the adrenaline brought on by all the creative possibilities I began shooting like a mad man. Completely lost in the flow, and not really being able to see what I was producing (due to the strong glare on the camera screen) I just trusted myself and dove deep.

The full series of the resulting images will be released soon but for now I leave you with a taste of the proof that the experience was not merely an insomnia-induced hallucination:

I would like to once again say a massive THANK YOU to my creative partners and muses, Regina and Lilith.