Faces #4 1998

Curator: This is "Faces #4", a 1998 photograph by the Norwegian artist Vibeke Tandberg. It’s one in a series of portraits exploring identity. Editor: Well, my first impression is of someone caught in a moment of gentle contemplation. There's a subtle pensiveness, almost as if they're on the verge of revealing something, but holding back. Curator: It's interesting you pick up on that reluctance. Tandberg often plays with ambiguity. The subdued palette contributes, don’t you think? That soft, diffused light. Editor: Absolutely, the light softens the features, blurs any harsh lines. The muted colours – greys, blues and browns - evoke a sense of introspection. The slightly unfocused background and off-center framing direct focus where it’s most important—the gaze. It feels so natural, almost voyeuristic. Like stumbling into someone’s private space and finding them unaware. Curator: Precisely! And it's fascinating considering Tandberg's manipulations. While seemingly straightforward, her photographs are often staged, even digitally altered. We read them as genuine portraits, but… are they? What is identity when its constructed from layers of representation? It's like she is winking from behind the image. The natural pose juxtaposed with subtle digital manipulation is an incredibly clever trick. The question this leaves with viewers, is, what has the artist intentionally left, versus intentionally taken away? It plays into themes of realism and artificiality so well. Editor: I can't say I am entirely surprised to hear they've been digitally manipulated. There's a smoothness to the skin that feels almost too perfect, an uncanny valley kind of feeling, perhaps that's just my projection though. But beyond the artifice, there is such emotion to capture, and whether that is intentional or coincidental I cannot say, only feel. Curator: Perhaps both! This ability to walk this liminal space makes Tandberg such a compelling figure. In a time where images were becoming ubiquitous, this photograph really makes me wonder what is worth capturing. I also agree about the uncanniness! The artist seems to almost highlight their manipulation as opposed to attempting to blend or distort with natural reality, therefore further breaking down reality! Editor: An insightful dance of deception and allure. A reminder to look beyond the surface of what seems genuine.