Nature of Sorensen

In state of nature lives of men are "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short"

- T. Hobbes (Leviathan)

For Vibeke Sorensen, nature is a mixture of many influences with interconnected features. Her vision on the necessity of an harmonious environment is reflected in her work Sanctuary. She displayed her work in a safe haven as she puts it. The images used in the project are superimposed and combined in a calm manner as if everything in the image are naturally connected/together. Rather than approaching her task from a religious perspective she saw sanctuary in nature instead of a religious fortress. She sees the harmony in nature and allows her viewers to escape into nature.

The reason why I brought Hobbes' quote into this post is because Sorensen is also trying to pass on that same very message: we are all mortal. The only way to escape this reality is through coming together, in an alternative nature where our inter-connectedness matters more than our disconnectedness. At least that is what I perceive as her goal from her nature.

I am truly fascinated by Sorensen's art production. It seems like she never stopped. Her inspiration finding its roots in nature, identity,poetry and memory have been her flashlight in her expression. Since the concepts she's dealing with are concepts with which we deal with consciously or unconsciously in our daily lives- I find it easy to relate with her work more than that of Chan's.

From: Sanctuary [2005]

From: Sanctuary [2005]

From: Frames of Memory [1998]