Last Updated on 11/11/2021 by Chris Gampat
All Images By Lovis Ostenrik. Used Under a Creative Commons License.
Lovis Ostrenik’s mother, like so many mothers out there, had a nickname for her son – Visto. Years later, when coming up for a name of his photo series – which he dedicated to his mother – he could think of no better name than that affectionate nickname she had called him all those years ago.
“My mum used to call me visto or sometimes even visto batisto. It was just her way of calling me, but some friends picked it up and started using it too. Calling this exhibition VISTO goes hand in hand with dedicating it to her.” He said of the project, which he developed to celebrate the beauty and vitality of the human body.
For his subjects, Ostenrik utilized dancers and specifically looked for those with bodies that would enhance the shadows he was looking to create. “I started looking for dynamic and vitality of radiant bodies rather than beautiful poses. I asked the dancers NOT to think, NOR to express anything. I was looking for the expression through the body only, with a relaxed empty face.” Ostenrik noted of the process, “reducing the expression of the subject was meant to enhance the ability of the viewer to project his/her own interpretations, feelings, or emotions.”
The work is quite fascinating, and you can find a selection of the images on display below. You can always check out the full gallery over on Ostenrik’s Behance profile, here.