Ragne Sigmond (Norway)

Faces (2003-2010)

Program: Vernissage Pavilion A     Thursday (18.03) 07:00 p.m.

Ragne Kristine Sigmond – born in 1977 in Norway, graduated as a photographer from the Media College Denmark in 2003. She gained practical
and theoretical competence in different techniques and disciplines, and specialized in fine arts photography. After graduating she worked as a portrait and advertising photographer in Arendal, Norway, before moving to Oslo in 2004, where she worked as a portrait photographer for the following two years. In 2006 she moved to Denmark, accepting a position at Media College Denmark where she currently teaches photography.

Besides educating future photographers, she frequently judges annual portrait competitions, and gives lectures at photographers' seminars and conferences both at home and abroad. One of her favorite subjects in her personal work has been people and staging. When attending competitions, Ragne has earned several awards in recognition for her work and has been invited to exhibit pictures in different countries (Denmark, Norway, Australia and Belgium).

I was lucky to grow up in a very creative household, and was encouraged to paint, draw, mould and create decorations, furthermore to study dancing, theatre and music. Today these interests directly influence my photographic style. I like my pictures to be creative, mystical and adventurous. I develop my ideas from people, places and objects that inspire me in my everyday life.

In the Faces series I have strived to evoque a timeless atmosphere that I complement with my choices of background, make-up, styling and props. I started on this series in 2003, and every year since then I have made additions of new work. In the pictures with necklaces as the main prop, the main building block was materials (like clothes pegs), and the next step was finding distinctive models suitable for these props. When looking for potential materials, I am interested in shape, colour and their versatility in how they can be shaped. In general I challenge myself to bring materials out of their everyday use, transforming them into something beautiful or interesting on a model. Some of the materials transformed into necklaces to be found in the exhibited work are: furniture felt pads, bronze coloured pot scrub, clothes pegs, rubber bands, old rusty keys and silver metal look-a-like party garland.

By keeping the models’ pose constant throughout the series, I guide the viewer to focus on few differences. First, of course, the props turned into necklaces. Another is the models’ gaze; are some looking at you as if she or he is looking through you and out to infinity? Others have a more direct, piercing glance. As a spectator you might feel stared at by these models. Other models have closed eyes, which give a more introvert mood, giving the spectator more space to calmly view the work.