Østnes has worked backstage at the prestigious opera house State Opera, Prague from 1888 and has closely followed the Swan Lake production for almost half a year. Swan Lake was exhibited at the Norwegian National Theater. The exhibition was opened by Ba Clemetsen from the National Theatre along with a Tchaikovsky concert performed by Arild Stav and Elzbieta Nawrocka.
”Working with such talented people in an intense concentration within the opera environment in Prague made me lose myself several times. The experience was overwhelming for a photographer striving to capture those visual moments where the footing slips. The beautiful stage contrasts sharply with the tough, worn surroundings behind the scenes. My challenge was to distance myself from the production’s art and work on my own material. It’s easy to be dazzled by all the beauty that one cannot claim credit for as a photographer. It was important for me to maintain my own expression, and in this distance, the concentration was sometimes electric.”
Selected works from Swan Lake .
