Unda Arte: 2011

Triptych III

Perhaps you happen to live in a country with a, more or less, Christian culture? If so, let's presume, hypothetically, you didn't spend Christmas at home this year - and that plastic, pink Christmas tree wasn't ideal. What if your favourite dish tasted poison, your children were crying, Santa Claus was drunk, a storm took your electricity and you gained two kilos... However, all in all, it's better than losing your only child at Christmas... We know one of these afflicted couples.

This work of art may also represent one, two or three violently wounded persons at Christmas. Can you learn something here or not..? If so, what..? Taking Christmas less seriously or not..? Perhaps being more grateful for your Christmas or what you have - without any guilt, of course... Appreciation/meaning and well-being are undoubtedly intertwined..! Is it time to find a better balance between gratitude and working for new, interesting goals..? You know your own situation.

Take a look at the child again; suppose he or she is alive... As you can see, different techniques are used for the two halves. Why..? Who is the child - or the children..? What do the flames stand for, according to you..? If you ask us, the cross isn't in flames and it's not made of wood.

The person to the right is representing a woman from the 19th century. What is she made of..? Does she believe in God or not..? In this setting the frame is a postmodern experiment, i.e. the meeting between a woman from the past and new technology.

What is the man to the left representing in this context..? Does he believe in God or not..? There is a twist concerning the technique and the content. If you are discerning several different layers of interpretation, a suggestion is to really separate them. This may be important concerning the picture to the left. Especially if you reflect a little upon the title...

Janus and His Insect

Uncle of Snow, Sauce and Liquorice

Impressionist Building

Book Cover (II)

Unda Arte's book cover of the Swedish novel Mitt liv som du (My life as you) by Manuela Gaetani. Here you are meeting a person who can infiltrate your life, think your thoughts and feel what you are feeling...

Redemptio, the title of this photograph, denotes primarily deliverance from sin.., reconciliation by the work of Christ. Here the red leaves symbolise passion... According to Christian tradition, Jesus suffered and died for our sins. The significance of the angel may appear in the context after the deliverance, when tranquillity is reached.

Redemptio was exhibited in a group expo, Påsk och passion (Easter and Passion), at Gallery 3K in Old Town, Stockholm, Sweden, during Easter 2013.

Struggle with God

Woody Allen has described Ingmar Bergman as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera". Bergman directed over sixty films and documentaries, most of which he also wrote, and directed over one hundred and seventy plays.

Concerning his films, Bergman held Winter Light, Persona and Cries and Whispers in the highest regard, since these pushed the medium to its limit. In exploring death, faith, betrayal and insanity etc., his long time cinematographer Sven Nykvist was essential, capturing the light and the atmosphere on the screen. Our photograph is inspired by Winter Light, where the priest, (doubting) Tomas.., struggles with God. Bergman himself struggled with his faith – and had a complicated relationship to his father, who was a priest...

This photograph, many detective stories and Bergman's famous portrait of Death in The Seventh Seal – under a cloudy sky – may all be examples of postmodern hyperrealism. Fiction inspires the interpretation of reality; "gloomy" weather has obviously no natural connotations of anxiety/death...

Untitled # 26

This photograph was published in the poetry magazine Post Scriptum, Kulturen, July 2011.

Human Geography

Human Geography is (in an alternative version) one of 14 artworks in the multimedia exhibition Carbon Footprints - with art by Unda Arte and music by Armand Gutheim - shown in Coimbra, Portugal, February 2013. The main theme concerns the environment and our lifestyle, explicitly and implicitly... This photograph was exhibited at Cabana dos Parodiantes, Portugal, September 2011.

Love on the Edge I

A homeless woman with a child... What are her eyes saying..?

As in other fine arts, the boundaries of the technology's rules may be explored in fine art photography. In this picture you find a flagrant example of this, accentuating the sense of disharmony...

This photograph was exhibited at the Fiarte expo in Granada, Spain, April 2011. It was published in Macula Magazine, No. 14 (2011).

Nostalgia

This photograph was exhibited at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea, November 2011–February 2012.

Conscientia

This photograph was published in Lozenge Magazine, No. 2 (2011).

Sacrificium

During Easter the Christian tradition emphasizes the sacrifice of Jesus - and the sacrificial lamb is eaten in many parts of the world. Sacrificium is also inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky's film The Sacrifice, where the protagonist is prepared to sacrifice all he loves, if only a catastrophe may be undone. The St Matthew Passion, the leitmotif in the film, is another source of inspiration.

This photograph was published in Lozenge Magazine, No. 2 (2011). Sacrificium was exhibited in a group expo, Påsk och passion (Easter and Passion), at Gallery 3K in Old Town, Stockholm, Sweden, during Easter 2013.

Love on the Edge II

One of many interesting art issues is the confrontation with pictures that accentuate prejudicies...

What type of relationship do you see between the two persons in the picture..? This photograph may emphasize the picture of a "dirty" relationship between an older man from the U.S. or Europe and a local, a woman from the countryside in Asia. Let's say this is love. Do you think this is worth less than a more average relationship..? If so, is that thought really reasonable..?

This photograph was published in Macula Magazine, No. 14 (2011).

In Retrospect

This photograph was at the front page of the international magazine Independent Research Network in September 2011.

Dr. Shinto (I)

Who’s this man..? If you haven’t seen him before..; this is Damien Shinto, a.k.a. Dr. Shinto! For more info, take a look at Wikipedia..!

Desolation

An Experiment

"An Experiment" is a possible title in many ways. However, this time it would be interesting to think about the title as temporary... Ready for a small, creative challenge..? Do you want to decide the title for this photograph..? In any case, what do you think this character is feeling..? Why is he or she placed in this particular environment..? Your associations may lead to a keyword or two, perhaps a title...

(Picturing one of our visitors:) "'The Silent Sound of Brainstorming'... Perhaps..!" (Someone else:) "'Time for a Nap in the Woods!' Hell Yeah!" Any title you feel matches the photograph is ok!

You can also pick a suggestion here. For example "Getting Inspired"..; "Serenity"..; "My Own Space"..; "A Contrasting Moment"..; "A Human Map in a Wooden Topography"..; "Human Globe in Wooden Space"..; "Relaxing"..; "Global Experiment"..; "Light of Dawn"..; "Healing Thoughts"..; "Healing Moment in a Norwegian Context"..; "Part of the Solution"..; "Global versus Local"..; "Creative in Privacy"..; "Peace of Mind"..; "The Essence"..; "Take Care of Yourself"..; "Time for Myself"..; "Revelation"..; "These Tranquil Moments"..; "Time to Relax"...

Postmodern Hybrid

Postmodernism has several faces... One debated issue is whether a single individual may have several different identities or not in our postmodern society. In our view, that depends on what definition of "identity" one uses. Still, today people may have more roles and functions than in the past...

What are you seeing here..? Perhaps features of a woman or a man.., a white or a black person.., a mannequin.., a consumer... or, why not, a verdigrised statue..? Maybe you are distinguishing something else..?

Are you seeing all the included parts at the same time, or not..? Do you let one or a few of these appearances dominate your view of this work of art..? Why..?

In both Postmodern Hybrid and NDE/REVA we are "playing" with different skin color layers... We are sending an anti-racist message. The skin is just a matter of millimeters...

If you imagine that the Postmodern Hybrid and the man in NDE/REVA knew each other somehow... In that case, what kind of relationship would they have..?

This photograph was exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, June-August 2011. It was at the front page of the international magazine Independent Research Network in September 2011.

Trapped

This photograph was exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, June-August 2011.

Plan B

Here one may imagine, say, a travelling couple and a “disloyal” sky... It's either too warm, too cold, too warm again... Flexible in every way! Or maybe you see for example an employee with his or her boss - or perhaps this is a parent and a child, two friends..? What if you could give them a piece of advice..? Either to deal with their problem or just cheer them up..!

His Memories

Norm Breaking

Disappearing Walls

Here a cultural centre in Japan is the primary source of inspiration. Perhaps you know this architectural notion, where walls almost seem to dissolve... The floating border between interior and exterior almost let them become one single unit. The idea naturally becomes very relevant in the summer (with balconies, terraces etc.). This picture implies another illusion. Do you think it looks like two photographs, merged into one..? Also a photographer may believe that...

Untitled # 11

Untitled # 3

Imagined Reality

Let’s go beyond the imagined for a few seconds... This man is happier than he looks (and he wants us to write about him). Actually, he was very excited just a few minutes before this photo was taken. He believes that he is the leading actor in a film. This kind of thinking obviously fills his life with meaning... If you imagine his situation now, should somebody convince him that these thoughts are only fantasies..?

That Huge Eye

Big eyes can be associated with dog eyes… Mark Plonsky (professor and expert on animal behavior) has compared the average human’s and dog’s vision... Dogs are red-green color blind, which occurs in 4 % of male humans. This is due to having only two, not three, cone types – light sensitive cells in the retina include cones and rods. Since dogs have no area with 100 % cones, their eye for detail is roughly six times poorer than in an average human! However, dogs have much better night vision for two reasons. They have more rods and a reflective surface behind the retina, reflecting light back through it (giving that eerie shine at night). Dogs are also better able to detect movement. Due to the placement of the eyes.., humans have an overlap of the field of each eye of 140; in dogs, it is about 100. This results in the dog having limited ability to focus on items at different distances, but a wider overall field, allowing them to see more of the world!

Untitled # 6

Untitled # 7

Is This a Man or a Woman?

If you want to test your own reaction..! It is late in the evening and the light is very obscure. Reflections and smoke create an illusion of wood surrounding his or her face. Is it a dream..? You can't distinguish this person's sex - this is what you see... He or she says, in a rather dark voice: "I'm looking for the nearest hotel." How do you react if you decide it is a woman? What if you imagine it is a man? The situation and the body language may be neutral in both situations... If your feelings are mixed, is that disturbing or exciting..? Is it annoying not knowing the sex? If so, why..? You can see the whole face in Untitled # 32.

The Orchid Rivals

The struggle for power between two brothers was a recurrent theme, particularly in ancient and medieval history. Two species of orchids next to each other will compete... The orchid family contains up to 26 049 accepted species (except hybrids and cultivars). That is more than twice the number of bird species... Since it is spring - and it is possible to see only one person in the picture - this photograph is also a tribute to the Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, Carl von Linné. He laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is also known as one of the founders of modern ecology.

Untitled # 9

Untitled # 33

The Traveller

It's scary but interesting to meet homeless people, who previously had a life similiar to your own... Irrespective of their past, the label "homeless" easily becomes their whole identity... In relation to people who can be considered as frightening, labels entail a distance, security and the satisfaction of feeling self-confident...

This photograph reached the final in Saatchi's international art contest, January 2011. It was exhibited at the Fiarte expo in Granada, Spain, April 2011.

The New Muslim Crime

The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Italy have laws – or are considering laws – against clothes that cover all of the face. Now it's France's turn to ban the public wearing of the burqa or niqab. The around 5,000 potential "clothes criminals" risk a fine up to 150 euros, or the order to attend "re-education". Critics say that the law stigmatizes Muslims, that Sarkozy wants to win voters back from Front National. The intensive debate last summer started when he wanted to cover up his scandals... The defenders assert that the veil is an affront to the principles of gender equality and secularism. Or is it rather a question of freedom of religion, of conscience..? Those rights are protected by European law...

Untitled # 32

This photograph was among the winners in MyArtContest's online competition, Group Art Show 2011. It was exhibited in MC Studio and Art Gallery, in Santa Ana, California, April 2011. It was published in Artist Portfolio Magazine, No. 2 (2011).

Untitled # 21

This photograph was one of the winning entries in Artslant's showcase No. 3, 2011. It was exhibited at the Fiarte expo in Granada, Spain, April 2011.

Integrating Nature

By 2050 there will be an estimated additional 3 billion people on earth - and 70% of the world's population will be living in cities. Now is the time to build more energy efficient buildings. The building sector accounts for about 40 % of the world's energy use. WBCSD's rigorous report (on energy efficiency) shows how energy use in buildings can be cut by 60 % by 2050. This will require immediate action to transform the building sector. The report states that necessary changes will not come through market forces alone. Thus, the key here is to put pressure on the building sector..!

Integrating Nature is (in an alternative version) one of 14 artworks in the multimedia exhibition Carbon Footprints - with art by Unda Arte and music by Armand Gutheim - shown in Coimbra, Portugal, February 2013. The main theme concerns the environment and our lifestyle, explicitly and implicitly...

Revolution for Democracy

The revolution starts in the human mind… However, being against a totalitarian regime is never enough. What comes afterwards and how? The key is that policymakers pave the way for a democratic transition... Civil war poses a hazard, both before the dictator is overthrown and afterwards...

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