Elina Brotherus

 Elina Brotherus

She was born in Finland in 1972 and she lives between Helsinki and Paris.

She began studying photographic art in 1995 when she is in science major in University. She has Master Degree in chemistry and she figured out she has tremendous burst of creativity inside of her mind.

Elina is one of Finland’s best-known artists. Her work deals with her own personal circumstances, and self-portrait. Her main goals for in her photographs are vulnerability and agoraphobia.

I had hard time to pick one photograph from her work.  

According to her interview, she mentioned that her works is almost all about her life. She took wedding portraits because she got married and she took divorce portraits because she got divorced. She usually inspires by her personal circumstances. However, it's very creative and enough to attract viewers. 

Still, I want to show more about her works but this is what I choose.

Model Study1 photograph by Elina Brotherus.

Before I write about technical stuff, I want to write about the reason why I choose her for my favorite contemporary portrait photographer.

Since, my favorite artist is Andrew Wyeth, when I saw her works, it reminds me Andrew Wyeth’s works. Using abstract explanation, both Andrew and Elina has wind, solitude, memories, nature, and life inside of their work. Technically, I felt that they have similar tones of color even though the medium is different (painting and photography).

This ‘Model Study1’ created in 2002, which is her 6-edition photography work.

According to her explanation about this ‘Model Studies’ series, she mentioned that this is neither about personal stories nor a documentary about someone’s life. She concentrated in more technical things like, light, colors, the rhythm of the masses and to subject matters with classical notions.  The reason why figure turns her back is because Elina wants to give the peaceful contemplation. 

I totally got the peaceful concept from this image. However, I personally thought about the loneliness from her shoulder. Also because of the color of her coat, it gives coldness and sadness too.