Inspiration Through Time

Gamlehaugen Castle in an Impressionistic style

Gamlehaugen Castle in Impressionistic style

Lately, I have been enjoying reading art history. It helps me understand older art and the background of the different eras or isms. I intended to transfer knowledge from art history to my own pictures. This is, of course, impossible to fully implement, but the ideas in composition and expression can inspire to new ways of thinking.

At the moment I am on the subject of Impressionism. It started in the mid-19th century with innovative artists like Edouard Manet, Claude Monet og Paul Cézanne in France. They were not recognized by the established art community and were therefore not allowed to exhibit their paintings at the respectable art exhibitions in Paris. Instead, they started their own exhibitions and eventually became recognized and popular. Some of the characteristics of Impressionism are strong colour contrasts, bright skies and rough brushstrokes that looked unfinished up close, but from a distance created life and emotion in the paintings. The term "Impressionism" comes from an art critic who said: "It is only an impression of something", meaning it was an unfinished picture.

In my attempt to create an impressionist-style image, I took a trip to Gamlehaugen with my newly acquired GF 100-200mm lens along with my Fuji GFX 100S camera to immortalize our only castle in Bergen. Like the Impressionists, my intention was not to document what I observed but to create a feeling of something.

Instead of paint, canvas and brushes, I use a camera, Photoshop and a tablet to create the feeling of a castle in another time where we can dream away in our minds.