Photography: Since its invention it has been called many things; magic, trickery, cheating, art, the future. Photography is a tool that can be employed for so many human endeavors. At one extreme, pure artistic expression. At another, technology that can save a life or change the course of human history. It’s also just a fun toy to play with!
Photography has allowed me to explore the three dimensions of space and then beyond into the fourth dimension of time. Yet these four dimensions are inevitably represented on a two-dimensional plane…
The majority of photographs represent only a fraction of a second. However some of my film images of the stars are single exposures that are several hours long, allowing us to see the rotation of the earth reflected in the stars above. Some of those stars are no longer there. We are capturing photons that may have left their home sun tens of thousands of years ago.
Our Story
We are all made of Stardust, originally forged in the cores of collapsing Stars billions and billions of years ago. Our matter and energy has been captured by the gravitational pull of this pale blue dot, tethered too the glowing radiant sphere of energy, we call the sun.
ERIK BENGTSON
Erik Bengtson grew up in Minnesota, always playing in the forest, getting dirty, hanging out in weird alleyways and loading docks, usually riding useless wooden toys.
With an unquenchable curiosity always present, he was often exploring, both the rural and urban realms. Eventually he discovered photography, and with it, the ability to create, manipulate, and capture photons. Not only did this magic wand of space and time allow him to put three-dimensional objects into a two-dimensional plane where he could share ideas, it also allowed him to play with the fourth dimension of time in a way he never knew was possible. This gift transformed the way that he experienced and interpreted the universe.
Erik’s images are representative of his interactions and relationships with the world and are intended to encourage the imagination, and challenge the boundaries we set for ourselves. Still using traditional 35 mm film, he often creates multiple exposure images inside the camera, without the use of any photo editing software. Using digital photography and star tracking and star stacking tools, he also creates images of the cosmos beyond our home planet. Participation in the artwork is strongly encouraged, so feel free to author your own stories about the things you see.
Erik Bengtson lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
@cubsonthecouch
Discover a world of possibilities
Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark on the canvas of existence. The only limit is the extent of your imagination.
Solar and Stone 