Tomte Photography Show

In conjunction with a visit of delegates from Mellerud, Sweden, Gammelgården Museum has a pop-up photography show of the work of Rolf Linder and Tanja Mueller. Six photographs are combined with many tomtes from Gammelgården’s collection – some of which have never been on display.

Mr. Linder and Ms. Mueller created images from the tomtes and displays at Noriska Tomtemuseet in Mellerud. The museum houses the extensive collection of tomtes that StenTorstensson and Patrik Stridh have together collected. The best of this collection is displayed at the Nordic Santa Claus Museum, which is housed in the old brewery built in 1908.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rolf Linder has been chairman of Mellerud’s Photo Club for many years and was involved when the club was founded in 1969.

His interest in photography began early. Back in 1969, he bought his first camera, the Minolta SRT 101. Although he has photographed a range of subjects, he is now mostly a nature photographer. He particularly enjoys macrophotography and landscape photography. He states, “It is very important for me to be close and relate to my subjects.”

All seasons are interesting to Mr. Linder. Within each season, he prefers early mornings and late evenings to catch the exciting Nordic light. Mr. Linder also enjoys looking for fantasy pictures with trolls and figures.

 

Tanja Mueller is both a photographer and professionally-trained graphic designer based in the municipality of Mellerud. Most of the time she works as a nature photographer in and around Dalsland; and works with artistic nature images that are created directly in the camera on location in the forest by using a combination of different exposure settings the camera offers, to work out dreamy, magical and also sensual expressions in the photographs – a forest bath for the viewer’s soul.

Ms. Mueller creates mysterious portraits of the Dalsland forest in all its beauty and stillness through “slow photography.” She states that she follows a meditative challenge in which “the spirit of trolls, fairies, and other creatures can be clearly sensed, and which – at the same time – documents an important part of the biological diversity found in the landscape.”