Luminous Signals
Jan Erik Waider - Visual artist and fine art photographer based in Hamburg — Atmospheric and abstract landscapes of the North.
Wars begin with a flash of light; the very antithesis of nature, yet war is the first felt nerve pinched when viewing the Luminous Signals series of Jan Erik Waider.
"It can be anything you want it to be." says Jan.
You might see UFO's where I see the flash of a tracer flair moments before the ICBM's get launched. My imagination is set by Jan's entirely imagined moments in the 18 1/1 photos proving that real photographic creativity goes beyond beauty.
NorthlandScapes - The Three Chapters
I love artists that consider the context of their image and write the beginning of a story for the collector to continue with. In Chapter 1, Jan places the pink tinged spark with a trail of light suggesting speed both in the imagery and in art titles #01, #02, #04 and #05. The clarity of the story makes these three my favourites.
Chapter 1: The Day it Started -
Luminous Signals #01 - Arrival -
Luminous Signals #02 - Departure -
Luminous Signals #03 - Hope -
Luminous Signals #04 - Triad I -
Luminous Signals #05 - Triad II -
Luminous Signals #06 - Dreamland
Chapter 2 head into the mountains and with it the palette shifts from blues to greys as water gives way to rocks. The trails of light have disappeared and burning embers emerge from the mountain. #11 The Summit gives a sense that we're not alone anymore (and is one I hovered on buying weeks ago...now a missed opportunity!)
Chapter 2: Into the Mountains -
Luminous Signals #07 - The Passage -
Luminous Signals #08 - The Longest Night -
Luminous Signals #09 - Insomnia -
Luminous Signals #10 - Exploration -
Luminous Signals #11 - The Summit -
Luminous Signals #12 - From Afar
Chapter 3 lets in more of the landscape than Chapter 1 and I'm going to say that the landscapes win the day. The glows here feel more friendly, as if the world has made peace with their presence.
Chapter 3: New Beginnings -
Luminous Signals #13 - Glaciers -
Luminous Signals #14 - Forgotten Land -
Luminous Signals #15 - Between the Clouds -
Luminous Signals #16 - Dark Falls -
Luminous Signals #17 - Revelations -
Luminous Signals #18 - Endless Shimmering
The thinking Jan has put into his series makes me curious about what else Jen has minted on other platforms. Foundation reveals a March 7th 2021 mint of a short looping video called 'Luminous Signals / 01 (New Beginnings)'.
In the description is a GPS co-ordinate 78°39'25.9"N 16°55'33.1"E, helps a collector place where this other worldly place exists on planet Earth.
Jan more recent work is closer to reality with the imagination coming from the viewpoint in 'Basalt Canyon' and 'From the Glaciers to the Sea.'
"Iceland's river landscapes are often unremarkable from the ground, but from the air these beautiful waterways offer a breathtaking display of colors and textures. Not much different from a watercolor painting and constantly changing, depending on the water level and flow velocity of the river." says Jan
"The video shows the river Tungnaá in the southern Highlands of Iceland carrying different sediments dissolved from the ground on its way to the sea. The river flows from the western edge of Vatnajökull (literally "Glacier of Lakes") to the reservoir Sultartangalón, where it joins the river Þjórsá. Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of Iceland's landmass."
Watch the video 'From the Glaciers to the Sea' at full screen to be truly mesmerised in its slow motion flow. Its as if a wave is held in suspension prevented from breaking on the shore.
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