april krause - revisiting the figure in the landscape

8/3/2019 April Krause - Revisiting the Figure in the Landscape

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relationship as intertwining (linterlacs), which creates an interworld (lintermonde),

(Moran 2000, pp. 403-404). The body is both the perceiver and the perceived and is

expressed by our experiences of flesh. Things are encrusted in the flesh of the body, just as

the body is a part of the fabric of the world (Moran 2000, pg. 429). This is a fundamental

aspect to Brotherus work, in which the landscape seemingly becomes an extension of her

body. The existence of the figure and the environment are shaped by each other and

become a single unit. Merleau-Pontys concept of intertwining the self and the world is

evident in the work of Brotherus as she depicts her embodied experience within a place.

This circular process of reflecting on oneself in the external world, while also being present

in the moment, can be seen as an extension of earlier phenomenological ideas of Heidegger

in his workBeing and Time. Within this text Heidegger introduced the being-in-the-world

concept ofDasien(being-in) that refers not only to the intertwining of the self with the

world, but is also concerned with the importance of place. Jeff Malpas (1999, p.8) explains

this relationship between the ideas of Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty as:

the very possibility of being the sort of creature that can engage with a world (and, more

particularly, with the objects and events within it), that can think about the world, and that

can find itself in the world.

Malpas (1999, pg.72) expands on this notion of the self finding itself in the world with the

idea ofsubjective space. This can be understood as the process of identifying ones being-

inself, which can be fully connected to a location and moment in time through the body,

rather than just existing in it. This definition of the embodied experience in a place and

moment of time is a defining aspect to the work of Brotherus.

These phenomenological concepts can be useful in determining how Brotherus applies her

body within the landscape of her photographic works. Brotherus has regularly uses the

method of self-portraiture and its connection to the surrounding environment as a basis of

her work. Her earlier series were concerned with documenting diaristic self-portraits

(Bright 2005, pg. 51). Das Madchen sprach von Liebe (1997-1999) is one example of this

ideology, in which Brotherus primarily uses the method of self-portraiture to document her

personal experiences of the time (figures 1 and 2). Within these earlier series, Brotherus

recalls Henri Cartier-Bressons spontaneous decisive moment approach to capture atruth or essence about her feelings within a particular moment and place (Eusterschulte

2005, pg. 1). Through this unplanned documentation method, Brotherus seemingly uses

the landscape to reflect her own emotional presence, thus emphasising the being-in-the-

world essence as a decisive tool in the articulation of these autobiographical narratives.


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Figure 1: Brotherus, DasMadchen sprach von Liebe series, Divorce Portrait, 1998, 130 x 105 cm

Figure 2: Brotherus, DasMadchen sprach von Liebe series, This is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life,

Triptych, 1998, 70 x 57 cm and two 70 x 88 cm,

Brotherus continues to use her figure within a variety of landscapes in a more recent series,

The New Painting (2000 ongoing). The name for the body of work was devised from a

term mentioned to Brotherus by the Icelandic art ambassador Edda Jonsdottir, describing


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the idea of photography being the new form of painting; the medium of photography could

be seen as exploring the same formalistic qualities addressed within the historical painting

tradition (Bankale 2005, pg. 1). In The New Painting series, Brotherus continues the

representation of the human figure and the space within the investigation ofclassical

subject matters...light, colour, composition (Bankale 2005, pg. 1), which are explored

through a photographic medium. I will analysis a selection of works from Brotherus series

to examine the usefulness of a phenomenological interpretation of the figure and landscape

relationship within these pieces.

Rewriting historical artistic elements is evident in the work from Brotherus titled Der

Wanderer 4, 2004, 105 x 119 cm, (see figure 3). There is a strong and deliberate reference

to Casper David Friedrichs The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, 1818, 95 x 75 cm (see

figure 4), (Eusterschulte 2005, pg. 3). Der Wanderer 4 investigates ideologies attached to

the figure and landscape relationship with Brotherus mimicking Friedrichs rckenfigur

(back figure) placement a term that refers to a figure standing with their back to theviewer (German History in Documents and Images 2011). Brotherus positions herself on

the sloped, bare ground, facing the vast snow-covered mountains, valleys and rivers that

appear in the distance. This work recalls the formalistic visual effects of historical painting

with the use of the soft quality of light, centrally balanced composition and natural tones.

Figure 3: Brotherus, Der Wanderer 4, 2004, 105 x 119 cm


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Figure 4: Friedrich, The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, 1818, 95 x 75 cm

(Boston College 2011)

Brotherus has a selection of works within The New Paining series which explores the theme

of Friedrichs Wandererpiece. Der Wanderer, 2003, 80 x 100 cm, (see figure 5) is another

example of this. The artist has again positioned herself in the rckenfigurposition and also

stands in the centre on the canvas, with her back facing the spectator, gazing into the

distant grassed valleys below, as the wind ruffles her blonde, bobbed hair. Brotherus is

clothed in an intense orange dress, enhancing her presence within the scene, while also

emphasising the femininity of her figure, which is in contrast to Friedrichs masculine

portrayal. The figure of the artist is placed in the lower half of the frame, closely cropping

her feet at the edge of the composition and bringing the body closer to the audience.


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Figure 5: Brotherus, Der Wanderer, 2003, 80 x 100 cm

In both of the Wandererworks of Brotherus, she employs the same use as Friedrichs

rckenfigurthrough the positions of her own body. This stance minimises the distance

between the spectator outside the frame and the figure inside the frame, inviting

contemplation, not confrontation (Bankale 2005, pg 2). The rckenfiguris a device that

places the spectator in the landscape by encouraging a process of identification with the

figure in the piece. Brotherus works explore this traditional formalistic device toencourage the viewer to resonate with the body in the landscape, therefore consciously

connecting with the scene. The medium of photography can be seen as further enhancing

this relationship through the seemingly real-life depiction within the image. The artists

wind-blown hair is an example of this; a person is more likely to personally associate with

this detail because of the nature of the medium, therefore one may have a stronger

resonance with the landscape within the piece. This depiction of an environment and the

manner in which Brotherus positions her body in the Wandererpieces emphasises the

phenomenological weaving of the self and the world as one entity. John Berger (1973, pg.

11) concurs with this statement, articulating this aspect of connection to place: when we

see a landscape, we situate ourselves in it.

Another work of Brotherus from The New Painting series, Le Printemps, 2001, 70 x 80 cm,

(see figure 6) is constructed in an interior domestic scene. The work consists of a small

table and wooden chair, framed by the walled corner which seems to support the figure of

the artist as she reflectively looks out of the bare window ahead. The use of colour, patterns

and textures is consistent and becomes a map directing the gaze of the spectator around


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the composition of the piece. Despite the contemporary feel (by the use of the closely

cropped frame and the materials and objects within the piece), the reference to traditional

painting elements is strongly evident. Le Printemps is reminiscent of 17th Century,

domestic interior Dutch paintings; a person, a worker, captured as they pause

contemplatively (Pettersson 2005, pg. 2). The spatial depth emphasised through the

placement of the corner within the frame, the soft light highlighting Brotherus figure, the

minimal use of objects within the frame and the defined lines and edges all allude to this

historical narrative.

Figure 6: Brotherus, Le Printemps, 2001, 70 x 80 cm

The marked tiled walls of another domestic interior scene are the compositional backdrop

in the piece Le Matin, 2001, 80 x 80 cm, (see figure 7). Brotherus positions herself on a

chair in the corner of the room, head bent forward, hair hiding her face, as she uses a hair

dryer. Again, the patterns and colours on her long night dress, along with the blond tresses

of wet hair, are the focal point in the composition, and add a level of vitality to the

monotone colours of the bare room. A light shade shines brightly adjacent to Brotherus and

creates an artificiality lit atmosphere, enhanced by the foreboding shadow cast by the

artists frame. The cord of the shutter release cable of the camera is visually present in this


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piece. Brotherus often deliberately displays the cord within the frame, which reveals an

honesty to the process and the self-portrait nature of the works. The reference to

traditional paintings is again obvious as Brotherus recalls the familiar women bathing and

cleaning scenes that have been the subject of many works over time (Burnett 2003, pg 1).

Figure 7: Brotherus,Le Matin, 2001, 80 x 80 cm

Le Printemps and Le Matin show an emotional immersion of the figure into a domestic

interior through the way Brotherus positions herself and the aesthetical motifs presented

in the works. In Le Printemps, Brotherus seems to be in a reflective stance, but also appears

to be spatially enclosed by the way she sits in the corner of the room. There is a feeling of

longing through the manner in which Brotherus gazes out of the window, emphasising thedistance between her internal self and the outside. The colours and patterns of her clothes

and surfaces seems to match the artists presented feelings of contemplation and

hopefulness. The way Brotherus uses the corner of the room as a protective support

reappears in Le Matin. The artist seems to be backing into the walls in a delicate manner

and hiding her face under her hair. The artificial light accosts Brotherus figure in a

somewhat uncomfortable way, while the background of cracked and stained tiles seem to


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reflect the withdrawn and sensitive disposition of the figure. Brotherus appears to have

constructed the two scenes as extensions of her emotive self, using the form and surface of

her body to weave a personal narrative through the patterns, surfaces and space of the

rooms. These places become contained reflections of the internalised self of Brotherus.

In a number of her works Brotherus does not include the figure in the landscape.

Nevertheless one can still get a strong sense of her presence even though the artist is not

present in the frame. Perspective 4, 2001, 105 x 133cm, (see figure 8) is an example of this

approach. A river in an urban environment at night is flanked by timber pylons and stone

walled edging which meanders and carries the eye to the bridge in the centre of the image.

The atmosphere from the street lights again plays a significant role in depicting the

formalistic qualities of the earlier historical paintings. The piece radiates the deep blue

tones of the water and sky in a reflective and translucent balanced scene, referring back to

traditional compositional arrangements within the frame.

Figure 8: Brotherus,Perspective 4, 2001, 105 x 133cm

Perspective 2, 2001, 105 x 133cm, (see figure 9) depicts a paved path with rough, grey

stones that lead the view of the spectator into the work and towards the horizon. In the


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distance is a bluish-green strip of the sea. A heavy, deep blue sky hangs above the watery

horizon creating a flat and minimal surface. The paved path is flanked by a white, sand

surface that continues into the distance, entering the sea. The manner in which the piece is

compositionally ordered with two strong axes, both vertically and horizontally, again

recalls Brotherus intent of examining the formalistic principles of the painting tradition.

The piece is minimal in content and emphasises clarity and a sense of the beyond.

Figure 9: Brotherus,Perspective 2, 2001, 105 x 133cm

Both of these Perspective works carry a motif used by Brotherus of water and reflective

surfaces and centrally placed devices, such as a river and a bridge. The fluid and transient

nature of these luminous bodies of water in the works suggests that they could be

representing the artist. This may be how Brotherus (2004, pp. 1-3) depicts herself in the

world; for she is a person who does not live permanently in one fixed location and seems to

be aware of her emotional vulnerability and delicate nature of being. The centrally placed

devices extend the perspective of the spectator into and through the images, seemingly

beyond the frame. This is a similar technique to the manner in which the rckenfigur

method is used (as discussed in the previous Wandererworks). Instead of the physical

presence of Brotherus body, the artist uses the form of the landscape as a biographical


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expression of the self, inviting the viewer to journey inside the reflected environment

through the spatial depth of the work.

This analysis of some of the pieces in Brotherus The New Paintings series demonstrates

how the artist explores the phenomenological aspects of the figure and landscaperelationship through the construct of historical painting elements. Though Brotherus is

depicting formalistic qualities that are associated with traditional painting in her series, the

work itself uses the medium of photography, which places a different phenomenological

aesthetic to the tone of the pieces. The space between the viewer and the work seems to

gain a greater lived-in sense because of Brotherus articulation of emotional geographies

through the use of the photographic medium. Barthes (1994, pg. 21) concurs with this

position:

as a spectator I was interested in photography only for sentimental reasons; I wanted to

explore it not as a question (a theme) but as a wound: I see, I feel, hence, I notice, I observe

and I think.

Berger (1973, pg.10) also gives some insight into this concept in his bookWays of Seeing:

the photographers ways of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject. The painters way of

seeing is reconstituted by the marks he makes on the canvas or paper. Arguably one can

identify with the photographic representation of the figure because of the more direct

indexical nature of the image, thus emphasising Merleau-Pontys interworld the self

woven within the world concept. This position is also discussed by Mikael Pettersson

(2011, pp.185 and 192) who states that the photograph is perceived to entail a greaterphenomenological resonance because of the apparent real-life depiction of an image1. This

way of seemingly experiencing a photographic subject enhances the viewers perception

from outside of the frame, to a more lived encounter inside of the frame; a dimension that

is not as evident within the medium of painting.

The photographic medium ofThe New Painting series also appears to enhance Brotherus

autobiographical element embedded in the work, despite the artists intentions that the

series is about exploring the formalistic qualities of painting (Kalia 2001, pg.4). This is

especially the case in the pieces of the series in which Brotherus uses herself as the model2.Decisions relating to the taking, framing and processing of the photographs are difficult to

be separated from the artists emotional perspective. Timo Valjakka (2008, pg. 2) concurs

1Mikael Pettersson (2011 pg. 193) also offers the term of quasi-illusionistic experience when looking at a

photograph, due to the spatial proximity of the image and viewer. Pettersson claims that the viewer perhaps

only meets the photograph rather than sees and truly experiences the image in a fuller sense.2The New Paining series is vast and does include some photographs in which Brotherus uses other models.


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with the stance: her works are largely formal...but that does not stop then also being

psychologically charged and recognisable on an emotional level, reflecting surfaces for the

states of mind.

In addressing the traditional elements of the figure and landscape relationship, it could also

be said that understanding the importance of place is another key aspect to Brotherus

worka place must be felt to make sense (Davidson 2004, pg. 524). This notion reflects

the subjective space idea previously articulated by Malpas. Brotherus (arguably

unintentionally) immerses herself emotionally within the landscape when taking the

photographs. This enhances a phenomenological being-in-the-world aspect and

emphasises a sense of place within the works.

If a landscape is a feeling that can be internalised (Pattersson 2002, pg.2), then the

position of the figure in the landscape of Brotherus The New Painting series strongly

expresses this notion. Brotherus workseems consistently to be addressing the being-in-the-world aspect, and applying a phenomenological approach to this position can indeed be

useful. The role that the camera plays when depicting traditional formalistic elements that

are more associated with the medium of painting, creates a different connection between

the spectator and the work. This aspect, along with the way Brotherus uses her figure

within an environment, forms an embodied reflection and reduces the space between the

body and world.

The New Paintingseries captures the familiar truth or essence associated with the oeuvre

of Brotherus work, despite the artists intentions that the pieces are primarily about

traditional painting approaches. These historical artistic elements do indeed exist in The

New Painting series, but perhaps are overshadowed by the phenomenological being-in-the-

world presence that typifies the body of work. Thus emphasising the role of the landscape

in Brotherus workas being a body in itself through the emotional intertwining with the

figure.


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Bankale, S 2005, Discussion Between Sheyi Antony Bankale and Elina Brotherus,Elina

Brotherus Bibliography, viewed 8 July 2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.

Barthes, R 1994, Camera Lucida, Harper Collins, Canada.

Berger, J 1973, Ways of Seeing, Penguin Group, London.

Boston College 2011, Caper David Friedrich Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, photograph,

viewed 20 August 2011,

www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/rom_fri_wand.html.

Bright, S 2005,Art Photography Now, Thames and Hudson, London.

Brotherus, E 1998, Das Madchen Sprach von Liebe Series, photographs, viewed 12 August

2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/photography/das-madchen-sprach-von-liebe

Brotherus, E 2004, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,Elina Brotherus Bibliography, viewed 8

July 2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.

Brotherus, E 2001, 2002 and 2004, The New Painting Series, photographs, viewed 8 July

2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/photography/the-new-painting.

Burnett, C 2003, Interview with Craig Burnett for Next Level Magazine,Elina Brotherus

Bibliography, viewed 8 July 2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.

Davidson, J, Bondi, L and Smith, M 2005, Emotional Geographies, Ashgate Publishers,

England.

Eusterschulte, B 2005, Elina Brotherus in Conversation with Birgit Eusterschulte,Elina

Brotherus Bibliography, viewed 8 July 2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.

German History in Documents and Images 2011, Caper David Friedrich Caroline at the

Window, viewed 20 August 2011,

www.germanhistorydocs.ghidc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=2212.

Kalia, J 2001, The Enhancement of Reality,Elina Brotherus Bibliography, viewed 8 July

2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/rom_fri_wand.htmlhttp://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=2212http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=2212http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/rom_fri_wand.html


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Madison, G 1981, The Phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty, Ohio University Press, America.

Malpas, J 1999, Place and Experience: A Philosophical Topography, Cambridge University

Press, England.

Moran, D 2000, Introduction to Phenomenology, Routledge, London.

Pettersson, M 2011, Depictive Traces: On the Phenomenology of Photography, The Journal

of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 185-196.

Pettersson, S 2005, Close to Painting,Elina Brotherus Bibliography, viewed 8 July 2011,

www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.

Valijakka, T 2008, Elina Brotherus: Reflexive Spaces,Elina Brotherus Bibliography,

viewed 8 July 2011, www.elinabrotherus.com/bibliography.