Ilze Helgeland
“Time is elusive and as time passes it seems that technology also becomes a contemporary element of our lives. Only 100 or even 50 years ago, people were excited about technology that for the new generation already seems ancient. Only a few decades ago the technology of the time was a part of peoples’ homes and lives, and symbols of status and luxury, now the old items are disappearing into the junkyards for eternity.
What I intend to do with my series of paintings “Tech-Nostalgia” is to bring these earlier appreciated items back to life on the canvas. My intention is to make them visible again and give them the honor in retrospect. At the same time, I am trying to tell the story of the time that is slipping away and how these technical objects are gradually disappearing from our apprehension. They are in a way becoming abstracts.
I use transparent color schemes and abstract geometric shapes. Notice, capture, and emphasize - these would be the keywords in my recent work. My focus is on emphasizing the simple structure of shapes and to show the source of light! It is fascinating how the effect of light, different color schemes, and the simplicity of the shapes can affect the story, the energy, and the mood of the subject. In some of my paintings, I let the humans tell their stories. It adds a Nostalgic element and the story becomes complete.”
— Ilze Helgeland
Ilze Helgeland is originally from Latvia. Her memories of The Republic of Latvia gaining back its independence from the Soviet Union has had a profound influence on her development as an artist and her Latvian identity. She started her career as a TV news reporter before she embarked on a series of expatriate assignments in different countries including Norway, England, Angola, Brazil, the USA, and Venezuela. While living in these different countries, Ilze engaged in photography in support of articles written for various publications in Latvia. At the same time, she gradually increased her interest in graphic design and art. Visual storytelling became a passion and part of her lifestyle. Human values, culture, beauty, and uniqueness is highly prioritized in her visual storytelling.
