Aerostat – Balloon Life Magazine –
Ballooning –
Svensk Flyghistorisk Tidskrift
Balloon Life
Magazine December
1995
"There are hundreds of coffee table books
on the market today, many found in the mark-down bin at the local book store. Many,
such as the famed Collins Publishers' A Day In The Life series, feature
computer enhanced images meant to strike a chord in the viewer's mind or heart.
Somehow, the images lose their magic and after looking through them once or
twice they are relegated back to the coffee table to collect dust and perhaps
the glances of a few guests.
The Art of Ballooning could be such a book, but it is
not. It is nearly impossible not to page through it at every opportunity. Text
is limited, and totally un-necessary. Resplendent colors in some photographs
play in counterpoint to other hauntingly muted images. The composition of the
photographs, often with unusual framing and camera angles adding unexpected
dimension, is nearly flawless. These men know about love!
The single page introduction by Bjorn von Bahr
sets the tone for the photographs to follow. "Balloons are sexual
creatures," he writes. In the words that follow, he shares with readers
his unique view of the gentle giants. He closes, "Then, we must grope our
way, up and down through all the currents of the sky, to refind the right
direction as soon as possible. After a few hours, we land on earth. With empty
fuel tanks, the artist crumbles down, cool and exhausted after its brilliant
performance."
Viewing the dozens of photographs that follow
is a seminal experience. The viewer is transported from the Alps of northern
Europe to the desert of the southwest United States, from the frozen waste of
Antarctica to the Masai Mara in Kenya, or from the grounds of Chateau de
Balleroy to the gardens and waterways of Stockholm. Hot air and gas balloons
share the pages, though hot air images predominate. The photographs were not
chosen with any particular theme or concept in mind; the photographers, Torleif
Svensson and Peter Anderson, simply trusted their intuition. These men know
about love!
Near the center of the book, one section, Aquarelles,
emulsion transfers, superimposes the photographs on papers and fabrics to
soften the image and add texture. The effect is to slow the mind, to make one
pause, reflect and relax before venturing on. It is like cleansing the palate
to fully taste the next offering. The pages that follow provide all of the
color and excitement that one would expect. These men know about love!
Peter Anderson has been a balloonist since 1968; Torleif Svensson is a recent
convert having flown for only five years. Both men have the critical eye and
immense photographic skill necessary to create a work of this magnitude and
quality. Like so many great artists, their finest works, sensuously captured on
canvas, paper or film, are the objects of their love.
These men know about love!
Spend some time with this book, like love it is
not to be hurried."
Gary Rominger
Managing Editor, Balloon Life Magazine.
Aerostat – Balloon Life Magazine –
Ballooning –
Svensk Flyghistorisk Tidskrift
Next page