Rune Guneriussen
December 2, 2008 3:55 PM   Subscribe

Rune Guneriussen takes photographs of inanimate objects in unlikely environments. [Via]
posted by homunculus (47 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mystery meat navigation in a foreign language? Nah.
posted by Joe Beese at 3:57 PM on December 2, 2008


I never know what to think of this stuff. They look pretty neat, sure, and yet as an artistic statement it's basically re-warmed unoriginal sophomoric meh.
posted by jimmythefish at 4:02 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I would figure "Galleri" would be close enough to "Gallery" for most people to figure out where to click, but maybe not...

I thought these were awesome. I really liked the color select phones in particular.
posted by gemmy at 4:04 PM on December 2, 2008


Mystery meat navigation in a foreign language? Nah.

The navigation is thus: "galleri," "kontakt," and "cv." If you can't figure that out, God help you.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:05 PM on December 2, 2008


Mystery meat navigation in a foreign language? Nah.

Um, galleri = gallery. Not that difficult, really.
posted by desjardins at 4:09 PM on December 2, 2008


ugh.
posted by desjardins at 4:09 PM on December 2, 2008


I have found that Norwegian is basically English with more Ks and some of these things: å
posted by synaesthetichaze at 4:10 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I would figure "Galleri" would be close enough to "Gallery" for most people to figure out where to click

And risk a rickrolling? Ha ha... no chance.
posted by Joe Beese at 4:10 PM on December 2, 2008


Mystery meat navigation in a foreign language?

You've got to think globally.
posted by homunculus at 4:11 PM on December 2, 2008


This appeals greatly to my sense of whimsical.

Also lamp mushrooms!
posted by gomichild at 4:23 PM on December 2, 2008


As someone who holds a degree in photography, and since earning said degree, has worked in all kinds of fields aside from photography, I like these.

Sophomoric, maybe. But do the pictures work?

Well, in the words of a famous author-

"How can you tell if a (photo) is good or bad? Look at one million of them, and then you'll know."
posted by peewinkle at 4:25 PM on December 2, 2008


it's basically re-warmed unoriginal sophomoric meh

Unoriginal? Are there really lots of people attaching dozens of lamps to trees in dark, snowy woods?

I like them. They're technically solid, well composed, and interesting to look at. That's all I really ask of a photo.
posted by diogenes at 4:28 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I thought the telephone images were hilarious and well done. Overall, well worth the look.

Meh to the Meh
posted by captainsohler at 4:42 PM on December 2, 2008


Meh to the Meh

Yeah! The mehs are really bothering me on this one. I think it's because I know something about the process of photography (unlike writing a novel or composing a song). I can appreciate how much knowledge, thought, and effort went into creating these photos. If I made photos that great and received "meh" in response, I think I'd snap. What does it take to impress you people!
posted by diogenes at 4:48 PM on December 2, 2008


Mehtafilter: Meh to the Meh
posted by pompomtom at 4:55 PM on December 2, 2008 [2 favorites]


"Unoriginal? Are there really lots of people attaching dozens of lamps to trees in dark, snowy woods?"

Playful juxtapositions of nature and technology? Nigh unto the millions.

There were a couple of things that I thought were interesting here—first is that the lamps with the more ornate and decorative seemed to work better for me. The modern stuff seemed composed and too, well, cutesily anthropomorphic. Too Pixar. And I think that's because the decorative style is consciously "retro," which puts it in a more similar plane aesthetically to the idyllic past of nature. It's interesting because the decorative lamps are obviously more fussy and evidence more human involvement, but in this case, human becomes opposed to the machined artifacts in the other works. I also think it's interesting because while the posing of the desk lamps seemed to emphasize a confusion and modern chaos that stood alienated from the environment, the ornamental lamps integrated with the trees, and I think an argument can be made, especially with the concern about "greening" in broader culture, about just what a renewed emphasis on the natural will mean, and whether that's necessarily "retro" or fussy.

As to the overall worth, well, y'know, what decides that in my mind is not whether things are well-composed or pretty on the first pass, but rather whether I'd be interested in returning to these images again and again. For me, the answer is largely no, because while I think some interesting issues can be raised by these photos, I think they're largely orthogonal to the photographer's intent and I don't get a strong enough sense of ideas behind them to make me revisit (of course, that's just now that I'm saying this, as I may come back later).
posted by klangklangston at 5:03 PM on December 2, 2008


Dang, no drunken friends nor plastic bags blowing in the wind.
posted by mattoxic at 5:15 PM on December 2, 2008


I don't ever really feel the need to own any of the art I drool over, but man do I ever want this photo somewhere in my home.

(Does anyone else find the lamps in the snow to be a commentary on Nordic life and the harshness of a long oppressively-dark winter, or is that just me?)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:19 PM on December 2, 2008


(Also, this one. Definitely this one.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:22 PM on December 2, 2008


I have found that Norwegian is basically English with more Ks and some of these things: å

Same with Italian and Spanish, stick an "O" at the end of every word and you're a local- at least in my experience.
posted by mattoxic at 5:24 PM on December 2, 2008


I don't know anything about photography, and I still like these pictures.
posted by ymgve at 5:33 PM on December 2, 2008


I'm going to have to side with the mehs on this one. The images look like they'd end up in Communication Arts rather than, say, Blind Spot. Or in any other magazine, with ad copy and a corporate logo at the bottom.

It looks generically commercial, is what I'm saying.

The photography is competently executed, to be sure, but the Art is lacking. He put a bunch of phones on the beach ... and? What is the point of such an exercise?
posted by Sys Rq at 5:34 PM on December 2, 2008


... and? What is the point of such an exercise?

This drives me bats when people start dissecting art so that it needs to have some greater point. Ok, a lot of time it does, but I saw enough "deeper meaning" when I was in art school to be perfectly content watching lamps parade through a forest in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and imaginative. I like the idea of just dropping into a world where phone receivers float around and lit globes mingle with rocks. I don't need a greater "point."

"Meaning" gets really, really tiring. Sometimes I want the preaching to just stop for a while. OK, I GET IT, YOU HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS, JUST SHOW ME SOMETHING PRETTY.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:40 PM on December 2, 2008 [5 favorites]


I thought these were fun, and my captive 6 & 8 year-old art critics gave them a hearty guffaw. And, "Finally! Good value from Ikea!"
posted by sneebler at 5:41 PM on December 2, 2008


As to the overall worth, well, y'know, what decides that in my mind is not whether things are well-composed or pretty on the first pass, but rather whether I'd be interested in returning to these images again and again.

Fair enough. I guess I have different criteria. I love photography, but there aren't any images that I feel compelled to return to again and again. Maybe that makes me a philistine. I dunno.

The images look like they'd end up in Communication Arts rather than, say, Blind Spot

I'm struggling to see the difference between the best of these images and those considered the highlights of Blind Spot.
posted by diogenes at 5:47 PM on December 2, 2008


i like them, they're not very demanding and they invite easy, maybe obvious, interpretation, maybe that's what klangklangston is going on about, they're limited in ambition. i like the domestic objects go for a walk in mother nature theme, i like the way groups of them are arranged to suggest a march, a survey, repose; the phones' always stand to attention in synchronised regiments and pixar's monopoly on the anglepoise imaginary has to be recognised. there's something irksome about the retro lamps which is more about the romanticism of living amongst a benevolent nature than attending to the inner life of objects as in the other compositions.
posted by doobiedoo at 5:52 PM on December 2, 2008


OK, I GET IT, YOU HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS, JUST SHOW ME SOMETHING PRETTY.

It doesn't have to be especially deep, just, you know, provoke a thought. Something beyond, "Heh, neat," or "Ooh, pretty," if at all possible.

I don't really want to get into the whole "What is Art?" thing, because, well, who cares, so let's just say I'm sick of the trendy desaturization and the quirky anthropomorphic fish-out-of-water shtick and leave it at that.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:57 PM on December 2, 2008


on 'inner life of objects', i prefer these because of their sort of bewilderment (anglepoise) in the face of nature or outright surreal denial (phones) which i can relate to, rather than the lamp's which are a bit cute and precious. but then i live in the city.
posted by doobiedoo at 5:59 PM on December 2, 2008


let's just say I'm sick of the trendy desaturization and the quirky anthropomorphic fish-out-of-water shtick and leave it at that.

Where do you hang out that you see enough quirky anthropomorphic fish-out-of-water shtick to get sick of it? I want to hang out there. I think I'd like it. I see none of it during most of my days.
posted by diogenes at 6:03 PM on December 2, 2008


While I don't know much about fine art photography (most of the time it makes me roll my eyes) I do know a little something about photography in general, seeing as taking pictures = 100% of my income. Some of these made me gasp they were so beautiful.

I think they're stunning, especially the lamp series, and would proudly hang any one of these prints in my house. From one photographer to another, that's the highest praise I can offer.

Meh to the meh indeed.
posted by TheGoldenOne at 6:12 PM on December 2, 2008


Where do you hang out that you see enough quirky anthropomorphic fish-out-of-water shtick to get sick of it?

I was sick of it two photos into this.

I'm struggling to see the difference between the best of these images and those considered the highlights of Blind Spot.

1. You appear to have missed my central point re: Ad Photography vs. Art Photography.
2. You just compared a bunch of lamps in a forest to work by some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Yeah, no.

Really, the photography in the post is just the work of a relatively young and inexperienced photographer like me. Nothing wrong with that, really. But I expect us both to improve.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:16 PM on December 2, 2008


I would very happily hang this in my house. I think these are quite original and attractive.

I think it would be less irksome when folks come into a thread to disrespect some artist if they would offer up some kind of example of something they see as superior. Otherwise it just seems like you're being judgy without exposing yourself to reciprocal judginess.
posted by popechunk at 6:20 PM on December 2, 2008


Summon my army of choco-gummis immediately!
posted by Rock Steady at 6:24 PM on December 2, 2008


Are the blind spot images linked to above really small, or is this one of those browser dealies?
posted by popechunk at 6:25 PM on December 2, 2008


"Meaning" gets really, really tiring. Sometimes I want the preaching to just stop for a while. OK, I GET IT, YOU HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS, JUST SHOW ME SOMETHING PRETTY

i have the opposite feeling, despite the concrete and immediate meaningfulness of everyday life in work, family and friends, i like to get my deep/high altitude stuff from art, and maybe religion or politics if i were religious or political. 'just show me something pretty' sounds like a demand for relief or something therapeutic, which is better available elsewhere.

this photography isn't particularly deep, i feel like it's definitely dealing with stuff, just not terribly important stuff, which doesn't make it bad, just lighthearted and whilst this makes it appealing, it shouldn't become a call to hold general aesthetic practice hostage to sentiments of whimsy. everything has it's place right?
posted by doobiedoo at 6:28 PM on December 2, 2008


* especially apostrophes
posted by doobiedoo at 6:29 PM on December 2, 2008


Yeah! The mehs are really bothering me on this one. I think it's because I know something about the process of photography (unlike writing a novel or composing a song).

Oh, 'cause I can't be a photographer and think this is mediocre. I am, in fact, a photographer who has made a living at it in various stages of my life. I'm one of those people who tends to want to see an idea emerge if you're going to bother coating the landscape with something over and over. Maybe this person is a lamp or phone fetishist. Who the fuck knows. I see some pretty pictures, that's nice. I don't have any issues with making things that look nice. Is there reason to do it over and over and over and over again? Not that I can see. I don't have to think it has any deeper meaning than 'looky pretty picture'.
posted by jimmythefish at 6:46 PM on December 2, 2008


I think it would be less irksome when folks come into a thread to disrespect some artist if they would offer up some kind of example of something they see as superior.

It's not disrespectful just to offer an opinion on a piece, personally I've been careful to separate what works and what doesn't work for me in the galleries shown and hope that that's constructive. I'm not a photography or art nut, but I'm interested in interesting things, and my most recent (recurring even) mini obsession is Daniel Libeskind's Micromegas, a series of architectural line drawings he did before he imploded in developer commissions. The linked post isn't super informative and the image is actually rotated 90 degrees anti clockwise but it's the biggest I can find on the net.
posted by doobiedoo at 6:49 PM on December 2, 2008


everything has it's place right?

Yeah, but like I've said in other posts (and been subsequently berated for it) is that this is a forum for discussion. If you're going to post something, expect opinions from all sides. If I want to see great photography, I don't have to sit patiently waiting for a MetaFilter post and then heap praise on it like some prozac monkey who can't say anything but 'bravo'. I can offer an opinion. Indeed, people should expect an opinion. The 'what does it take to impress you people' response is terribly condescending. It takes a lot to impress me sometimes as I am easily bored with things that don't make me think.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:02 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I like it. The snow lamp series strikes me as a Thomas Kinkade - Andy Goldsworthy mashup, which makes me giggle a little.
posted by fleetmouse at 7:02 PM on December 2, 2008


I love the lamps. I always feel like they're looking for something, and this makes that more solid somehow.

But then, I have always surprisingly affected by this.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 7:11 PM on December 2, 2008


Also this one makes me think of those dark treks on the final ascent to Everest. But ok sorry. I'm done now.

I may have a problem regarding lamps and this thread may have finally made me aware of this fact
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 7:24 PM on December 2, 2008


i agree jimmy, does it sound like i don't?

when i said everything has its place i meant that controversial art or profound art or even talk about such art shouldn't be edged out by demands for accessible prettiness, there's room for everything. this photography definitely falls into the accessible prettiness camp and yet pointing this out seems to annoy people who want accessible prettiness to be regarded as great art, if not the only criteria for judging art. this i definitely disagree with.
posted by doobiedoo at 7:40 PM on December 2, 2008


""Meaning" gets really, really tiring. Sometimes I want the preaching to just stop for a while. OK, I GET IT, YOU HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS, JUST SHOW ME SOMETHING PRETTY."

BUY A CALENDER.

"Fair enough. I guess I have different criteria. I love photography, but there aren't any images that I feel compelled to return to again and again. Maybe that makes me a philistine. I dunno."

Really? None? I mean, maybe my media consumption is atypical, but this carries through nearly all of it—there's so much new stuff out there at all times that in order to justify really engaging with something, I feel like I need more than just pretty. Maybe music is a better example, but there's so much good stuff that's both pretty and engaging that I never feel the need to listen to Coldplay, and am vaguely annoyed when I have to. But to not have anything to return to, it would make all that searching seem futile, masturbatory. When I just want to look at pretty things, I take drugs, which makes everything pretty and pleasing.

"Where do you hang out that you see enough quirky anthropomorphic fish-out-of-water shtick to get sick of it? I want to hang out there. I think I'd like it. I see none of it during most of my days."

Pixar lamp logo? (Or even just half of ffffound.com)

"You just compared a bunch of lamps in a forest to work by some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Yeah, no.

Eh. A lot of the work on that page was kinda mediocre, honestly.

"I think it would be less irksome when folks come into a thread to disrespect some artist if they would offer up some kind of example of something they see as superior. Otherwise it just seems like you're being judgy without exposing yourself to reciprocal judginess."

Dude, I post on photography, I dunno, pretty often at least. And there's more in my blog, if you wanna skim for it.

Maybe this person is a lamp or phone fetishist.

Or an IKEA catalog artist.
posted by klangklangston at 7:47 PM on December 2, 2008


BUY A CALENDER, MORANS
posted by fleetmouse at 8:29 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I just like the effort of somebody bringing two hundred lamps into a forest and setting them up in a way that you can't see their footprints. That's art to me. Commitment to spending time an money making something that you think is beautiful. But what do I know.
posted by seagull.apollo at 9:30 PM on December 2, 2008


I just like the effort of somebody bringing two hundred lamps into a forest and setting them up in a way that you can't see their footprints.

Actually this person set them up one day and came back the next, after a snowfall, to take the photographs. You'll notice snow on the lamps. In this day and age of being bombarded with Photoshopped pictures, I enjoyed these.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:50 PM on December 2, 2008


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