Behind the day is set in the Alps and depicts the present time, a period in which fixed values end up on quicksand and start to shift. It shows how our view of themes such as the environment, democracy and fellow human beings has changed at a rapid pace over the last decade. Lars van den Brink uses man as a symbol for willpower, hope and inspiration.
Behind the day is the sequel to his series Frozen Time in which Lars first used a technique that brings both day and night into one image. In this new series, he has further explored ways to ‘paint’ with photographic material, in order to amaze the viewer and lift him out of reality.
By letting go of the unity of time and combining different shots, he distances himself from the analytical nature of photography and is able to create images that go beyond mere registration.
The works consist of authentic, photographically obtained material ,
no digital data, with which Behind the Day is also emphasizing the choices we make about what we want to see; which story do we filter from the world around us?
For this series, Lars travelled for over two years through the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. He slept in mountain huts or in a tent, and often photographed from the exact same location for about fourteen hours. During those sessions he saw the moon
and stars give way to the sun, and the change in colour of the light and the landscape. With his camera he captured people and events in order to later build up his story and created Behind the day
The end result is a filtering and compression of compounded time; images that refer to classical romantic painting, but also to the contemporary landscapes used in games.
The series of works depict an in-between land in which man must find his way, with an ode to nature in the background that compels us to modesty.