The contrasting nature of the North makes one realize that in addition to the fairy-tale nature colored in watercolors by master illustrator and king of children's fantasy John Bauer, full of unusual creatures derived from Swedish folklore, there is also a nature full of anxiety, darkness and mysticism, reminiscent of Nordic shamanism and ancient Scandinavian sagas.
Bauer's illustrations captured the imagination of generations of Swedes. They believed that nature was the product of mischievous trolls, powerful dwarves, unruly elves and seducing witches hiding somewhere in the dense southern forests of Småland or in the wild mountainous lands of Sami, where one could smell ancient mystery and hovering danger. When one hears about fairy-tale beings living among humans, a world full of magic, sorcery and runic powers, the imagination starts working on its own. The enchanting aura of the boundless North, the strong connection with nature and the penchant for unusual light, which is a parallel to the "light of the soul" have always been of interest to researchers of Scandinavian culture, writers, painters, illustrators, photographers and filmmakers there.
This is not surprising. The light and nature of the Scandinavian peninsula are extremely original and different, even from countries in the same climate zone. Characterized by the twilight of polar nights, misty forests and lakes rising in the midst of the forest canopy, the sapphire color of Nordic light became the dominant color of Scandinavian painting in the late 19th century for good reason. The melancholies of the North, inscribed in national romanticism and set against the backdrop of a harsh climate, added a flavor not only to the art of painting, but also to literature and the performing arts. Regardless of the genre in which Scandinavians create, the mystical darkness running through their works is a record of inner states and existential doubts. It should be remembered that the creators themselves often struggle with various diseases, addictions and inner demons, creating under the influence of intoxication and great suffering. Therefore, the world they depict draws you in, becoming an excuse for deeper reflection. It is more complicated and difficult to digest for the average viewer, but for that it is truer and more respectable. It is also full of harmony and minimalism. This is exactly the kind of Scandinavia I discovered during long months spent in the Viking forests and mountains, learning about local culture, ancient traditions and capturing it all on medium format and small-format negatives. The melancholies of the North are different from those of Italy or France, full of southern sunshine, bliss and serene sadness inherent in Mediterranean culture.
Here we have the piercing melancholy of loss and degradation, the Nordic noir as in the crime novels of Mankell or Larsson, a metaphor for the social mood highlighting the grim reality and dark side of welfare states. Everything is further heightened by infernal images of dark nature with primordial chaos and some inexplicable madness, as in the works of controversial Danish eccentric Lars von Trier. In turn, reflections on life, faith and death, reveries on the transience and loneliness of man, and an attempt to face the mystery of nature understood as the supreme deity, are the canon of most of the works of the master of mood vemod, the eminent humanist Ingmar Bergman, who changed the face of Scandinavian cinema by pushing the boundaries into ever more difficult intellectual areas and minimizing the image to the maximum. I have always thought that not so far from Scandinavian minimalism to Nordic noir, which I took up after returning to Stockholm in 2016. After all, both trends are all about impression, muted colors, harmony and simplicity inspired by the climate of Scandinavian exotica.
