Torbjørn Rødland

Torbjørn Rødland expertly navigates the possibilities of photography using film and traditional darkroom processing. He is well versed in the tropes of commercial photography and calls on them in his work to yield highly emotional, tactile, and unexpected images. The Ring typifies Rødland’s interest in visually juxtaposing opposites such as young/old, wet/dry, or dark/light. In this image, a white elderly woman’s hand wrestles with the hand of a younger, darker-skinned woman. At issue is a silver ring stamped with a Christ-like figure that is either being removed or bestowed by the older woman. The scene is obviously choreographed although the narrative remains open-ended.