The Lady from the Sea

2013 | Art, Photography & Fashion

Inspired by Henrik Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea, the photographer Thomas Zanon-Larcher and theatre director Jules Wright continue their series of narratives realised in performance, film and photography, with actors placed in environments external to the conventional set or stage. Taking as their lead the notion that both the play's protagonist Ellida and her lover originate from the far north, Zanon- Larcher and Wright set out beyond the Arctic Circle, to IS- Fjord Radio - the last departure point for the great solitary polar explorers. With such an approach, the director, photographer and actors establish the authenticity of solitude emphasised within the essence of Ibsen's characters and the kind of driven isolation that perpetuates the classical Norwegian constitution. The book details Zanon-Larcher's photographic methodology and Wright's creative approach, as well as the sheer presence of the landscape itself. Beautifully shot on 6:12 colour and 5:4 black and white film, the panoramic images grapple with the beauty and fragility of the Arctic, telling more than simply the story of Ellida.

These, together with in-depth discussions with Wright and reproductions of Zanon-Larcher's sketchbooks, act to deepen our understanding of a unique and compelling approach to a theatrical masterwork.

Jules Wright (Author)

Thomas Zanon-Larcher (Author)