OLE MARIUS JOERGENSEN

BY: Sarah Sunday

A lover of cinematic photography and the emblematic language it conveys, Ole Marius Joergensen’s work oozes Steven King, Alfred Hitchcock, and uncannily Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Utilizing high contrasts and dramatic coloring, the photos almost appear to be frozen stills from a dream-evoked film. Joergensen spoke with PROVOKR, commenting, “I want [viewers] to “fall into” my images and make their own interpretation of what’s happening — or not happening. I want each image to be a piece of beauty with a storyline to it.”

In a visceral set of works, Ole Marius Joergensen’s most recent 2020 portfolio is “a visual reaction on weeks of isolation.” Reaching into the deep creative crevices borne from the pandemic, Joergensen has taken in stride the hurdles of long-lasting isolation and creative restraints. Propelled by seclusion, the Norwegian photographer likens his recent creative process to digging inwards. The result; a superlative internal excavation.

When speaking on being a photographer, as well as a father, during the pandemic, Joergensen commented, “I have really enjoyed the limitations that were forced upon us, artistically speaking. After a couple of weeks doing nothing but being a kindergarten employee, the creativity came to me in a sea of ideas. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to deal with them all. Limitation is a major spice for my creative soup. Before the crisis I could do anything or travel anywhere — there were too many options.”

Although Joergensen has not previously focused on self-portraiture, he appears in one 2020 image, perched on the side of a sleeping child’s bed. The remains of a stuffed animal are held in one of his hands; the torn body and innards of fluff lay strewn across the floor. It is a somber and plaintive scene of yawning sadness in an ordinary setting. Not accustomed to sitting in front of the camera, Joergensen expresses his discomfort in doing so, as well as the blinding realizations that accompany such efforts.

“When you can’t travel over the horizon, you can only go inward. It’s painful looking inside — easier to just make up stories and keep the dirt under the carpet. I turned inwards and made my most personal works.”

You can find about more about Ole Marius Joergensen here.