Elin Høyland has many years of experience as a photographer for the financial daily Dagens Næringsliv. Meanwhile, she is also working meticulously on her own photo projects, and she has published several books.
The photo project ‘The Brothers’ by the Dewi Lewis Publishing House was an international success and additional copies had to be printed.
Now Høyland is working on two new projects; ROYALLY AWESOME and MEMORIES, and in the next two years, she will focus on the royal project, which will take place in Norway.
As a photographer, the first time she became aware of the phenomenon ‘pictures of royalty’ was when she discovered a photograph of King Olav V in the machine room of the Obrestad Lighthouse in Jæren many years ago. Høyland asked herself: Why would the Lighthouse have an old picture of a long-gone king? Although it is from a bygone era, a faded picture of King Olav still reigns supreme in the machine room of the Obrestad Lighthouse.
What is the significance of this? In modern Norway, many have freed themselves from institutions and social pressures, but the ties to the royal family seem to stand strong in the Norwegian national soul. Why are Norwegians still such royalists? Why are private pictures and knick-knacks displayed beside pictures of royalty in many private homes?
«I’m convinced that there are many treasures all over Norway just waiting to be photographed. My intention is to criss-cross our country in every direction to see what can be found. Perhaps there are differences from Finnmark County to the fjords of western Norway? I want to document this in its original form before changes are made to the interior or people redecorate. I would like to tell this story because it has put a distinctive stamp on our history and culture.
Photo: Elin Høyland
Photo: Elin Høyland
Photo: Elin Høyland
