'My project shows the character of Superman as a real human being, going after the impossible mission. His big dream is to fly, regardless of the consequences; for him it’s trial and error.' —Ole Marius Joergensen
For Norwegian artist Ole Marius Joergensen (b. 1976), the image-making process begins with a narrative. The inspiration for his No. Superhero series was his childhood obsession with superheroes – their ‘colorful costumes’ and their ‘meaningful and adventurous lives.’ To create the present work, The Brave One, Joergensen staged his 12-year-old nephew as the protagonist. ‘It turned out perfectly,’ he remembers. ‘It was shot at 5:30 in the morning during sunrise. It was only me and the superhero present at the beach.’ In this playful yet mysterious scene, we see ‘Superman’ climbing up to the highest diving board, striving towards his impossible dream: to fly. Drawing on his background in film, the artist produces meticulously staged, cinematic photographs that transport us to another place and time. Based in Asker, Norway, Joergensen has exhibited worldwide and his monograph No. Superhero was published in 2019.
Ole Marius Joergensen on location for The Brave One, Hvalstrand,
outside Oslo. Courtesy of the artist.
Literature
No. Superhero, Malmö: New Heroes & Pioneers, 2020, n.p.
2014 Archival pigment print, mounted. Image: 78 x 121 cm (30 3/4 x 47 5/8 in.) Frame: 88.1 x 133 cm (34 5/8 x 52 3/8 in.) Signed, titled, dated and numbered AP2 in ink on an artist label accompanying the work.
This work is AP2 from the sold-out edition of 6 + 2 APs. This image is sold out in all sizes and editions.