This photographer has attracted attention for her sometimes dreamy, blurred, but artful expression in her large-format black & white photos.
The object, which is often out of focus, radiates an audacity one rarely sees. Pettersen’s technique and voice differ from those of the other photographers, and will represent a very interesting contribution to this edition of NJP. She is a member of the Norwegian Association of Fine Arts Photographers, and her NJP project will depict women who are mothers of children who have been convicted of murder, a topic steeped in taboos and shame, and which is not often addressed in our society.
Excerpt from the project description:
Series of Portraits of Mothers of Children who have been Convicted of Murder
Women and mothers of children who have been convicted of murder are rarely talked about in or brought to the attention of our society. In connection with murders that have received a great deal of press coverage, I have thought about what it must be like to be the mother of someone who has been convicted of murder. What is it like to have given birth to and raised a child who gets convicted of murder? How does this act affect the relationship between mother and child afterwards? What happens with the mothers’ feelings for their children? How do the children’s actions affect the mothers? Can they resume their previous lives after some time has passed, or do they want to go into hiding to attract as little attention as possible? What kind of strength have they managed to draw on in themselves in order to move on? I want to see and make portraits of the mothers, preferably several times. I want to show the women who, through no fault of their own, have experienced challenges, upheavals, sorrow and shame. In a detailed and honest way, I would like to capture their life experiences in photographs.
