“Glosoli” – Photo by Kaitlyn

Upon first glance, Glosoli is very reminiscent of a dream. Kaitlyn has created a stunning image of herself, gently flying off the edge of a cliff. The colours are muted, the background is soft, and she is in a very natural and secluded setting. The picture exudes an aura of calmness. Somehow, this image is very believable; I feel as if I am standing on an opposing bluff, watching her float by. Kaitlyn’s work functions very well as a response to her chosen image for this project. Although it is not a direct copy, it perfectly mimics the sentiments found in the photo “Dream Room” by Rosie Hardy.

From an objective standpoint, I would say that Kaitlyn’s work is quite feminine. It is tranquil, gentle and romantic. It is very wistful, and brings forth a lot of emotion from its viewer. In this regard, it is certainly not just a formal work. It evidently has a lot conceptual value to it, and leaves the viewer with several questions. What makes this picture so believable? Why would she be flying off the edge of an overhang? How did she take this picture? The questions that this photograph poses lead the viewer to a deeper investigation of the work, rather than letting viewer simply skim over the work and move on to another piece.

Glosoli is both intriguing and satisfying at the time. It ha been executed with a huge level of thought and skill. The integration of “floating Kaitlyn” into “maudlin background” is very successful, and has been done very naturally. There are no harsh edges, and it looks as if the photograph was taken as a whole, rather than having been composited together. As well, Kaitlyn has clearly thought through every detail in her image. Her wardrobe matches the colour scheme, and seems appropriate for the setting. The softness of the image suggests that the image is a dream of some sort, and the muted colours give us a sense of serenity.

The title Glosoli, meaning “Glowing Sun” in Icelandic, is aptly chosen. It is poetic, mild, and also happens to be the title of Sigur Ros song. Kaitlyn informed that this piece is indeed inspired both by Rosy Hardy’s image, as well as the video for the Sigur Ros song Glosoli (which depicts young children happily flying off the edge of cliff). The work tells a story, though its viewers may interpret it differently. It makes me feel as if she is searching for something, or as if she is longing for something else. Kaitlyn has told me that the narrative within her image is quite reflective of the Glosoli lyrics, which talk about innocence, feelings of insignificance and wishing for a new beginning.

There are innumerable works of art that examine the ideas of belonging, innocence, and searching for a new beginning. Kaitlyn’s work would function well with a variety of different works in this regard. Though her work has a very specific meaning, it can be viewed in broader terms. Its poetic, romantic and dream like qualities make it a work that would function well with many other works by Rosy Hardy, as well as with the works of Sigur Ros. Overall, Kaitie’s work is very successful in paying homage to Rosie Hardy, as well as functioning as work of its own.