Elina Brotherus
(Finland + France)
There are two recurring subjects in Elina Brotherus’s video Artists at Work (2010) and her photographic series 12 ans après (1999–2012): the artist herself and the camera. Given her long-time interest in the representation of artist as model, Brotherus features predominantly in virtually all of her photographs and videos. The self-portraits picture her in expansive landscapes or in claustrophobic rooms, portraying a range of different emotions, from melancholy to anger, from perplexity to serenity. The other subject is the camera. Sometimes the cable release can be seen winding along the floor toward her hands, leaving the camera off image. In more recent works, the camera is present in her photographs, sharing the space with the artist.
Born in 1972 in Helsinki, Elina Brotherus divides her time between France and Finland, where she obtained an MA in photography at the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2000. Her works have been in solo and group exhibitions around the world, including at The Photographers’ Gallery in London (2013); the Lianzhou Photography Festival (2012); the Musée d’art moderne et d’art contemporain in Liège (2012); the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark (2012); BOZAR, Centre for Fine Art in Brussels (2012); the Sørlandets Kunstmuseum in Kristiansand, Norway (2011); the Bloomberg Space in London (2010); the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki (2009); and the National Art Center in Tokyo (2008). She has received numerous grants and awards and her works are in major public collections. Brotherus is represented by gb agency in Paris, The Wapping Project Bankside in London, and Martin Asbæk Gallery in Copenhagen.
OPTICA, UN CENTRE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN
372 Sainte-Catherine Street West | suite 508 | 514.874.1666
Sept. 7 – Oct. 17 2013 | Tuesday to Saturday 12 pm to 5 pm
Opening Saturday, Sept. 7 2013 at 3:30 pm (meet the artist)
Guided tour by Anthony Burnham organized for the Journées de la culture, Saturday, Sept. 28 2013 at 3 pm