vibeke tandberg    The finest way to put into words the sentiment behind the work of Vibeke Tandberg is to refer to those of the artist herself who said, "Basically my attitude is that I am trying to have a good time, meaning that I deal with things that are close and connected to me, and seek to communicate these things that are recognizable to others." Through her photography and films, Tandberg explores topics including individuality, identity, and gender while often employing herself for the subject matter. Tandberg also raises questions concerning originality and manipulation by setting her digitally altered photographs in common surroundings and ordinary situations. Since her breakthrough series Bride in 1993, Vibeke Tandberg has participated in exhibitions all over the world. Born in Oslo, she studied in Norway and Sweden before going on to train in Berlin, New York, and London. Her work is represented at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Oslo, and other esteemed institutions in Paris, Oslo, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

In Vibeke Tandberg's Living Together #12, two women peer out questioning our presence as though we have just interrupted their casual conversation. One woman wears a bathrobe and sports an unkempt coif while the other leans against the windowsill and casually smokes a cigarette. At first, this picture seems to be a candid look into the private living environment of two women; however, closer investigation reveals the figures to be the exact same woman, the artist herself. This photograph is part of series entitled "Living Together" through which the artist embarks on a journey of self-exploration. In the series, Tandberg uses digital technology to pair various pictures of herself into one provocative photograph. The result is an album of images that together raise questions about identity, originality, individuality, and the artist's acquaintance with her own multiplicity. In the Living Together series, the artist portrays double images of herself conducting everyday activities as though she were documenting the exchange between a pair of sisters, twins, or friends. Tandberg said, "I did not want to define their relationship...It was important that they just appeared closely connected and shared sorrow and happiness." What makes the Podesta collection photograph Living Together #12 unique to the series is that the artist has placed both images of herself especially close to the foreground, and both women stare directly at the viewer. This eye contact intensifies the connection between the artist and her viewer while inevitably urging the viewer to examine the photograph and its subjects more closely.

--Jennifer Tafe, MA, Art History, George Washington University