Tombeau Imaginaire 17 2019

Elina Brotherus made this photograph, Tombeau Imaginaire 17, and it feels like a painting in how it arranges shapes, colours and mood. I wonder if Elina felt a sense of wonder and solitude when she created this image. There she is, almost disappearing into the landscape, a figure in a black dress standing in a clear pond in front of a rock face. The surface tension of the water is so delicate, a mirror reflecting the rock like a watercolor wash. It makes me think of the Hudson River School painters and their grand romantic landscapes. Elina is a contemporary artist with a deep understanding of historical painting, using photography like a brush, to explore themes of melancholy and memory. It’s like she's inviting us to contemplate the relationship between humanity and the natural world, and how we find our place within it. Photography allows for a unique form of expression, capturing a moment in time while also leaving space for our own interpretations. It's a conversation that continues to evolve, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling.