Seaside 2005

Kristoffer Zetterstrand's "Seaside," is an oil on canvas artwork that invites contemplation through its arrangement of imagery. Zetterstrand, born in 1973, works in a time when the digital and physical blur. The painting depicts a landscape, a serene meeting of water and sky, overlaid with what seems like a trompe-l'oeil still life. There are birds, branches in a vase, and a miniature landscape painting. All of these elements are staged within the painting's shallow space. The layering creates a sense of both depth and artifice. "Seaside" prompts us to consider our relationship with nature, and how it is mediated through art. It creates a dialogue between what is real, what is represented, and what is remembered. The juxtaposition of these elements reflects on the act of seeing and interpreting.