Das Grüne Ohr 2016

In this photograph, ‘Das Grüne Ohr’, Elina Brotherus presents herself in a moment of quiet contemplation. I wonder what she might have been listening to? The figure sits in a room filled with subtle light, and geometric architectural details. Her gaze is directed toward the window, as if listening to the world outside, or perhaps lost in thought. I am touched by the intimacy of the space and the stillness of the sitter. I can see her taking time to consider the composition, the way her crossed feet mirror the shape of the triangle window behind her, or the way her gaze follows the descending line of the ceiling. In this quietness, Brotherus invites us to slow down and consider the beauty of the everyday. We’re reminded that the artist’s eye is always observing, finding poetry in the most unexpected places.