“My works can be described as documents of the encounter
between the photographer and the subject, and of
the act of fixing a situation for a period of time. Sometimes the scenery in
my studio is left untouched for weeks, simply remaining in this
one moment. Sometimes a model will hold a pose for almost
an hour, while I adjust every wrinkle in the t-shirt, the hair, in
this one gesture. It’s almost like building a sculpture.”
- Tom Callemin

In the photographic work Landscape Study, Tom Callemin plays with light and shadow, movement and chance, in order to question the reality of images. Allowing for a crack that breaks through the perfect staging, Callemin creates an opening through which the tension between character and person becomes tangible. As if only in the dark, we can see the real person breathing life into the image. The work is part of Callemin's practice in which questions about the role of the photographer, the role of the model, and the role of the viewer in relation to the construction and perception of images are key.

2021 - Framed inkjetprint mounted on Dilite, 100 x 80 cm

Commissioned by STUK, House for Dance, Image & Sound in the context of Wired for Empathy (2021)

Courtesy of the artist