Hellnar, Iceland
(click on images to enlarge)
Limited edition of 2*
Pigment ink print on fine art archival baryta paper
38,7 x 58 cm
1/2 : 225,00 euro
2/2 : 300,00 euro
signed, numbered, with certificate
* want something even more exclusive ? Upon request, the edition can be reduced to 1, of a custom size and on a medium of choice. Please use the contact page to tell me what you have in mind, and we'll sort things out !
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
— Percy Shelley, 'Ozymandias', 1819 edition
While the image is obviously reminiscent, and derivative even, of Edvard Munch's 'The Scream', when standing before this visage my thoughts dwelt rather on that famous English poem which also features the word 'despair' and masterly illustrates man's hubris and the insignificance, in the grand scheme of things, of his materialist ambitions.
It's the same insignificance the traveller feels when standing amidst the untained, majestic but unforgiving Icelandic landscapes. Ironically, while looking ancient, those landscapes are actually very young in geological terms, and among the youngest on the planet. As such, they themselves, who instill the traveller with humility and awe, haven't yet stood the test of time. And while being the offspring of nature's most violent and commanding processes, they too will diminish and, ultimately, be forgotten.
_ prints come with a white border of about 1,5 cm on each side, which allows for proper handling and facilitates matting and framing; the size mentioned above is a net size that does not include this border;
_ price includes VAT, but do not include postage, packaging, matting or framing;
_ prints are always made on demand; as such a purchase cannot be cancelled once the print has been produced;
_ prints on archival fine art papers up until 58 by 87 cm are printed by myself on a Canon ImageProGraf Pro 2100 printer, using archival Canon Lucia Pro ink
_ disclaimer: as part of the printing process, and to ensure my personal quality standards are met, two AP/PP prints are produced: one on an A4, and one in the format at which the print is advertised above; the A4 may be part of a single edition portfolio box set sold in the context of an exhibition, while the larger size print is typically used for exhibiting, unless an HC print was made specifically for that purpose; of this image, only the two AP/PP prints have been made.
For this image, either the Canson Baryta Prestige II or the Platine Fibre Rag would work. I chose the former.
