Casper Sejersen’s One, Two, Three, Four

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In his debut exhibition, Sejersen takes us on an unsettling visual journey set to the beat of a drum

Danish photographer, Casper Sejersen’s work is at once alluring and uncomfortable. One image depicts glistening, globular pearls while another captures a spindly, yellow drumstick, disconcertingly alike a finger. Sharp gashes of blood and marbled bruising interrupt otherwise muted tones; objects emblematic of beauty intersect with those of pain.

This dichotomy is at the fore of One, Two, Three, Four – Sejerson’s debut exhibition and body of personal work on show at Cob Gallery, London, until 15 June 2019. Many of the exhibited images draw on early childhood memories – Sejerson’s interactions with his mother and grandmother; a view of the sunrise in his place of birth. Others depict aural sensations. The title itself is rhythmic and suggestive of the beat of a drum.

And drums feature heavily. Candle flames quiver to a drum beat; skin is scratched as though it had been dashed by a drumstick. Elsewhere objects and textures are central: ash covered foam, flowers in bloom, a pint glass teaming with pearls. The work draws on the central elements of Romanticism – emotion and subjectivity are at the fore. But, Sejersen’s visual language is unique. Working across fashion and art, the Copenhagen-based photographer has developed a distinctive approach that runs through his portfolio.

One, Two, Three, Four is on show at Cob Gallery in Camden, London, until 15 June 2019.

Hannah Abel-Hirsch

Hannah Abel-Hirsch joined British Journal of Photography in 2017, where she was Assistant Editor. Previously, she was an Editorial Assistant at Magnum Photos, and a Studio Assistant for Susan Meiselas and Mary Ellen Mark in New York. Before which, she completed a BA in History of Art at University College London. Her words have also appeared on Magnum Photos, 1000 Words, and in the Royal Academy of Arts magazine.