Christian Houge

Vanitas 7, Vanitas by Christian Houge - Photography, vanitas, skull

2022

Based in Oslo, Norway, I have been making photographs for over twenty years, and new insights continue to open. By obsessively exploring the relation, and conflict, between Nature and culture, I understand Mans` condition and Mans` ego, consumer society, the last remnants of pure Nature and identity. These are all recurring elements in my work. I often like to juxtapose the visually aesthetic with an underlying uneasiness. All of this usually emanates a cognitive dissonance in the viewer to invite deeper truths and personal references. This also gives the work a lot of room for interpretation, and this is where the beautiful dialog starts between the work and the viewer, but also amongst the viewers themselves. In my work, I wish to ask new questions to the increasing challenges we face environmentally and see how it all relates.Art is often made to invite us to see ourselves from new angles, understanding our surroundings and each other. I find `humanizing` nature is a good way of conveying my work to invite the audience to see themselves in a bigger picture. Looking at our actions and place in the environment, which we are so dependent upon, is a recurring theme in my exploration. My work ranges from panoramic analog cameras to state of the art digital cameras to large format for specific projects. All the work is made with pigment on cotton paper producing the best quality. I have exhibited extensively in galleries and museums in my native country Norway and the US, England, France, and China. `Residence of Impermanence` has been exhibited at five museums and several galleries already (including a big solo show at Fotografiska, Stockholm (2019), and Arles Fotofestival (2019). Work from `Residence of Impermanence' is currently exhibited at the UCR: California Museum of Photography in Los Angeles with the exhibition `Facing Fire,` Art, Wildfire and The End of Nature in the New West.` My previous environmental work has been nominated for the Prix Pictet Award on several occasions with my previous series for both Earth, Power and Fire themes. In 2005, my series `Arctic Technology` was shortlisted for the BMW Prize at Paris photo (through Scout Gallery, London). I have sold work from the series `Arctic Technology`at Sothebys` in London as well as Cornette det Syr in Paris. My other series has been shown in museums, including a symposium at Johnson Museum, N.Y. and been part of travelling exhibitions with WHATCOM (Museum of Washington) with the exhibition `Vanishing Ice`. China tour on environmental issues with Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing 2009. Publications include `Altered Landscape` (Nevada Museum of Art) including purchased work for their collection at Center for Art and Environment. My extensive research and photographic work on melting glaciers and the consequences of climate change, `Death of a Mountain`, exhibited April-June 2021 at Buer Gallery, Oslo. This series has also been nominated for the Leica Oscar Barnack Award and received the annual arts grant from the Norwegian Government.