Sudden Winter -- Gothenburg Nov 21, 2017

In the middle of a dreary rain period: Two days of solid winter! A bit unusual in this coastal city. And what an opportunity to get some pictures for homemade Xmas cards!
But primarily the winter images came in handy for an example-show with a particular intent and for a certain audience. The background is this: Recent research strongly suggests a beneficial effect of "virtual" nature. Electronic visual material seems to influence us in a way comparable to real nature, at least under certain conditions.

Office HiRise, Milano

The effect is most noticable if the recipients suffer from various degrees of nature-deprivation. This could mean sick or handicapped people, folks in a rehab institution, senior citizens unable to get out as much as they used to, inmates of prisons or other closed institutions. And then think of those great urban temples of work, containing thousands of servants devoting more of their time than they like to. Some researchers look seriously at the popularity of screensavers featuring snowy peaks, waterfalls, flowery meadows and such.

My interest in image shows goes a long way back. Often my own  compilations were meant to be an element in an educational situation. A type of complement to other engaging or thought-provoking material like literature, films, popular music, sketches, panel discussions and the like. My first "slide"-shows I put together exclusively from copied paintings, drawings, photographs, mostly from books, mazines and newspapers. At that time my photography was only in its infancy.
In the course of my deepening interest in the natural world, photography became a way to hold on to the often so enriching and satisfying encounters with nature. A special role for me plays the "unspectacular" landscape, patches of nature around the corner, the local and regional scenery. Pictorial testimony of such encounters can open eyes and minds for a reality and beauty not quite expected in everyday life and at close quarters. And this emphasis is not in conflict with wanting to travel far and wide to see different places. These approaches are complementary and great ways to learn about both home and the world at large.

For me, sometimes the camera ist the horse before the cart, sometimes a direct nature-experience leads to heightened awareness and spurs towards expression with the camera. It also happens that a mental concept of the final image is the driving force. Somehow I live with a subliminal impression that an image - just like a poem, a song, a dance - can create small cracks and openings in our everyday-life encrustment. Strangely, the "cracking" power of seconday nature (images, words, sounds etc.) can at times be stronger than impressions straight from real nature. Unless we are hit with surprises, our somewhat dulled senses often do not take notice of the nature-miracle around us.

For some time now I have been interested in a type of "feelgood" show with images that do not primarily try to impress and "show off". Pictures from the viewer's local or regional surroundings can be more easily related to than to more exotic material. The ideal result of this pictorial communication would be a slight increase in the viewer's inclination to experience nature directly.

I designed this show with a presumptive medical "waiting room" audience in mind: People arrive, sit, wait, will be called in to doctors, nurses, labs at some nebulous time. New people arrive. Staff pass by all the time, talk sometimes. There is a stack of outdated lacklustre magazines. Interest in them is not overwhelming. There is a big TV screen. Often it is black. Sometimes a news channel is on. Imagine now, that in my target area, Gothenburg and surroundings, this particular show is seen during the fall/early winter season. Many people in the room would know of the Änggårdsbergen nature reserve. Quite a few of them would have been there, some regularly on jogging rounds, walks, mountain bike excursions. It would be interesting to find out how image shows of this type will be received.

The future will show if "electronic nature" can have a beneficial effect - and can be enjoyed without pitfalls. Already there are known instances of e.g. denying frail people a human-assisted (expensive!) outing, keeping them inside to watch nature images on a screen (cheap!).
Read more about this show and the thoughts behind it, plus some technical details.