Arm’s Length Principle
Galleri Monitor
Gothenburg, 2024
Pigment prints
90 x 135 cm
2024–
I photograph myself at home, within arm’s length. Holding the camera in my hand, I point the lens at myself. Often, I cannot look through the viewfinder, which limits my control over the composition. The initial intention may or may not materialize as planned.
In the series Arm’s Length Principle, the artist positions herself as both subject and observer, operating within a predetermined set of rules to explore her bodily presence within the confines of her home. Here, the gaze is not solely her own; some control over it is relinquished. The camera acts as a third eye, offering a perspective that is both unfamiliar and partly beyond her control. The body becomes an object of curiosity, approached in a way that departs from her habitual perception. In this context, the randomness introduced by the camera plays a crucial role.
What lies outside the frame also carries significant meaning. Through the images, the relationship between intimacy and distance is explored by playing with the act of revealing and concealing. Proximity to the camera is examined as a potential form of disguise—moving closer causes the outlines to blur. The camera is both intrusive and direct, yet permissive and enabling, granting autonomy while simultaneously forcing a relinquishment of control.