Bo Mathisen
Bo Mathisen has been working as a full-time photographer since 1983; first working freelance, then at the Norwegian daily newspaper Verdens Gang (1989-2000), and then freelance again.
Has taken assignments for the Norwegian Red Cross and the International Red Cross.
Won “Photo of the Year” with an image from Bosnia in 1993 and is one of Norway’s most awarded photographers, winning a total of 24 prizes in the “Fuji Awards” and “Photo of the Year” competitions.
Is one of three Norwegians (with Knut Bry and Morten Krogsvold) to have exhibited at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg.
Held exhibits in 1991 of photos from a project on sugarcane workers in the Dominican Republic, as well as a multivision program with images from the war in the Former Yugoslavia.
Produced (film/sound/editing) the documentary “Tung” (Heavy), which aired on channel TV2’s “Documentary 2”. The film was nominated for the Norwegian Gullruten Award as “Best TV documentary of the year”.
Published the book Mayday with his own photographs in 2003, as well as coordinating outdoor displays of the Mayday photographs in downtown Oslo and other places. The book was awarded silver in “The Year’s Most Beautiful Book”.
Works currently as an independent photographer in the areas of photography, video and multivision, and is based in Oslo.
Lars Fahlén,Photo Editor at Göteborgsposten "There’s a difference between depictive photography and pictures that move you. A photographer can freeze a moment and publish it. But a picture can also set our minds in motion. When gazing at a picture we are at certain happy moments able to hear, taste, smell and touch. It is in this category of photographers that Bo Mathisen belongs.
When experiencing Bo’s pictures one is seldom or never unmoved. The distance to the subject is minimal. The people are pressingly close.
Among colleagues he is often described as the master of light. Natural as well as artificial lighting. Sometimes one cannot tell if it is natural or artificial light. But natural it remains.
Bo has many strings to play on: travel reporting, war reporting, portraits, sport (even if this isn’t a genre he is most interested in), but also product photography and complex pictorial solutions. That’s when photography approaches pure magic."
Has taken assignments for the Norwegian Red Cross and the International Red Cross.
Won “Photo of the Year” with an image from Bosnia in 1993 and is one of Norway’s most awarded photographers, winning a total of 24 prizes in the “Fuji Awards” and “Photo of the Year” competitions.
Is one of three Norwegians (with Knut Bry and Morten Krogsvold) to have exhibited at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg.
Held exhibits in 1991 of photos from a project on sugarcane workers in the Dominican Republic, as well as a multivision program with images from the war in the Former Yugoslavia.
Produced (film/sound/editing) the documentary “Tung” (Heavy), which aired on channel TV2’s “Documentary 2”. The film was nominated for the Norwegian Gullruten Award as “Best TV documentary of the year”.
Published the book Mayday with his own photographs in 2003, as well as coordinating outdoor displays of the Mayday photographs in downtown Oslo and other places. The book was awarded silver in “The Year’s Most Beautiful Book”.
Works currently as an independent photographer in the areas of photography, video and multivision, and is based in Oslo.
Lars Fahlén,Photo Editor at Göteborgsposten "There’s a difference between depictive photography and pictures that move you. A photographer can freeze a moment and publish it. But a picture can also set our minds in motion. When gazing at a picture we are at certain happy moments able to hear, taste, smell and touch. It is in this category of photographers that Bo Mathisen belongs.
When experiencing Bo’s pictures one is seldom or never unmoved. The distance to the subject is minimal. The people are pressingly close.
Among colleagues he is often described as the master of light. Natural as well as artificial lighting. Sometimes one cannot tell if it is natural or artificial light. But natural it remains.
Bo has many strings to play on: travel reporting, war reporting, portraits, sport (even if this isn’t a genre he is most interested in), but also product photography and complex pictorial solutions. That’s when photography approaches pure magic."
Awards
Picture of the Year Norway:
1983 3. prize "Portrait"
1983 3. prize "Series"
1984 4. prize ”Reportage-stories”
1989 3. prize ”Open Category"
1989 ”The Color Prize”
1990 2. prize ”Reportage-stories”
1990 4. prize ”Reportage-singles”
1991 3. prize ”Portrait”
1992 1. prize ” Reportage-stories”
1993 "Picture of the Year"
1993 1. prize” Reportage-stories”
1994 3. prize ” News Picture”
1995 3. prize ” News-stories”
1995 3. prize ”Daily Life Norway”
1995 1. prize ”Portrait”
1995 3. prize ”Portrait”
1995 2. prize ” Reportage-stories”
1995 ”The Black and White Prize”
1997 2. prize ”News-stories”
1999 3. prize ”News-stories”
Fuji Awards:
1994 1. prize ” News Picture”, Norway
1995 1. prize ”Reportage Picture”, Norway
1995 ”Award of Merit”, Europe
1997 1. prize ”News”, Norway
Other Awards:
2003 The Dokumentary "Heavy" nominated to "Gullruten" (TV award, Norway)
2004 The Book: "Mayday" awarded silver in "The most beautiful book of the year"
2004 3. prize "Best Picture" "The Communication prize"
2005 3. prize "Best Picture" "Communication prize"
1983 3. prize "Portrait"
1983 3. prize "Series"
1984 4. prize ”Reportage-stories”
1989 3. prize ”Open Category"
1989 ”The Color Prize”
1990 2. prize ”Reportage-stories”
1990 4. prize ”Reportage-singles”
1991 3. prize ”Portrait”
1992 1. prize ” Reportage-stories”
1993 "Picture of the Year"
1993 1. prize” Reportage-stories”
1994 3. prize ” News Picture”
1995 3. prize ” News-stories”
1995 3. prize ”Daily Life Norway”
1995 1. prize ”Portrait”
1995 3. prize ”Portrait”
1995 2. prize ” Reportage-stories”
1995 ”The Black and White Prize”
1997 2. prize ”News-stories”
1999 3. prize ”News-stories”
Fuji Awards:
1994 1. prize ” News Picture”, Norway
1995 1. prize ”Reportage Picture”, Norway
1995 ”Award of Merit”, Europe
1997 1. prize ”News”, Norway
Other Awards:
2003 The Dokumentary "Heavy" nominated to "Gullruten" (TV award, Norway)
2004 The Book: "Mayday" awarded silver in "The most beautiful book of the year"
2004 3. prize "Best Picture" "The Communication prize"
2005 3. prize "Best Picture" "Communication prize"
Exhibitions
1996 After Yugoslavia – Multivision display at the opening of the Red Cross headquarters in Oslo, Norway
1996 Photographs and other materials displayed at the Red Cross headquarters in Oslo
1999 White Gold – Exhibition at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg
1999 After Yugoslavia – Multivision display at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg
2003 Mayday – Outdoor exhibition in downtown Oslo. See pictures
2003 Mayday – Exhibition at the Red Cross headquarters in Oslo
2004 Mayday – Exhibition at the University of Oslo, Blindern
2004 Mayday – Exhibition in Skien, Norway
2008 Wajapi – Outdoor exhibition in Oslo, Town-hall ground. See pictures
1996 Photographs and other materials displayed at the Red Cross headquarters in Oslo
1999 White Gold – Exhibition at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg
1999 After Yugoslavia – Multivision display at the Photo Fair in Gothenburg
2003 Mayday – Outdoor exhibition in downtown Oslo. See pictures
2003 Mayday – Exhibition at the Red Cross headquarters in Oslo
2004 Mayday – Exhibition at the University of Oslo, Blindern
2004 Mayday – Exhibition in Skien, Norway
2008 Wajapi – Outdoor exhibition in Oslo, Town-hall ground. See pictures
Books
2003 Mayday – Photodocumentary book with own photographs published at own expense.
2003 118 Moments – Book with photographs taken by several photographers compiled by Tom Martinsen. Dinamo Publishing.
2009 Norsk dokumentarfotografi i dag - A book about nowegian photojournalism today. Press publishing.
2003 118 Moments – Book with photographs taken by several photographers compiled by Tom Martinsen. Dinamo Publishing.
2009 Norsk dokumentarfotografi i dag - A book about nowegian photojournalism today. Press publishing.
