Thomas Bangsted

For the last five years, Danish photographer Thomas Bangsted has been creating these chaotic, strange, and memorable images. What I like about Bangsted’s work is that it seems so painterly in the way it evolves. Unlike most contemporary photographers Bangsted does not work in series – each work is quite unique, has its own size, and its own character. This does not mean I’m against seriality, but the non-seriality of Bangsted’s work is one of its distinctive characteristics.

I’m not sure if there’s anything particularly “Danish” about the work. Unlike Dutch or German photography which seems to be flourishing, there doesn’t seem to be much of a school of Denmark – but there is a distinctive grey light to Bangsted’s work and a moodiness that would not be out of place in a contemporary production of that other famous Dane, Prince Hamlet.