Calling the Groke 2016

Elina Brotherus made this photograph of a figure with a lamp, standing at the edge of a lake, and she calls it, Calling the Groke. The mood here is wonderfully melancholic. Everything is shades of blue and gray, except for the warm little glow of the lamp. That single point of light is so carefully placed, just slightly off-center, which creates a sense of anticipation, as if something is about to happen. I'm reminded of Caspar David Friedrich, you know, the great Romantic painter, especially his solitary figures contemplating the vastness of nature. There's a similar feeling of awe and maybe a little bit of loneliness here. I love the way Brotherus uses the landscape not just as a backdrop, but as a mirror reflecting our own inner states. It reminds us that art can be a way to explore the mysteries of our own emotions and experiences. It's not just about what we see, but what we feel.