ICELAND - ISLAND INNER LANDSCAPES by Rolf Mraz

ICELAND – ISLAND INNER LANDSCAPES by Rolf Mraz

iceland-island_inner_landscapes-rolf-mraz-photobooks_cover

photo books 12. March 2020

Iceland’s nature and landscapes are unique, overwhelming and, therefore, have been an Eldorado for photographers since decades – and still are. So a lot of photobooks about Iceland were published in recent years. But still, Rolf Mraz feels only very few of them brought forward the true character of this island in the north: its solitude and emptiness, its roughness and untamed nature. One reason is, that many of those photographs are too much confined to the alluring obvious sensations and colors of the attractive surface.

So during Rolf’s last journeys to Iceland the idea evolved for a book-project to show his different, very personal view on Iceland#s rough beauty. A view that goes beyond the obvious sensations. He wanted to show more and diverse views than the well-known tourist attractions. According to his view, a good landscape-photograph (as almost every good photograph) should reflect the inner response of the photographer on his motive. The whole project, therefore, and the book of course, is in black and white photography. This form of abstraction strongly supports the aim to convey a sense of the emotional response these unique landscapes are capable to elicit. No distractions by eye-catching colors should occur. The second reason is, of course, that Mraz has a strong preference to black and white photography in general.

By this, he tried to make the viewer feel the landscape, not only see it. So it may become part of the viewers Inner Landscapes.