Iceland: the end of the world, the ultimate place of solitude

Jessica Tremp is a photography artist in Melbourne.

This group of works comes from Jessica Tremp's "tapae og fundie", which records her journey to Iceland. In this series of works, every picture reveals the desolation and loneliness of Iceland.

For many tourists who have been to Iceland, Iceland is the most alien place in the world. It is also the place closest to the fantasy continent in fantasy novels.

Low saturation of the sky and earth, high-grade gray tones visible to the naked eye. If the Nordic frigidity is an external style, the deep coldness of Iceland is an inner temperament.

There is not a single tree in Iceland, and forest coverage is less than 1%. Bare mountains, surrounded by sea plains without a single decent tree. Volcanoes erupt frequently and vegetation is sparse. However, these inherent shortcomings have created a number of shocking and extraordinary landform wonders - volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs, geysers, deserted coastal islands, and ancient glaciers.

This place contains all the unspeakable mystery in human’s ultimate fantasy.

This country of only 103,000 square meters has no trains or subways. Although there are buses, they are very infrequent. There are also very few roads in Iceland. There is only Route 1 and no Route 2.

1,336 kilometers, like a road leading to loneliness. The desolate scenery along the way will make people forget their own existence and immerse themselves in a world of emptiness and loss. Some people come here to find themselves, and some people come here to lose themselves.

Iceland is a place forgotten by God. There is no faith here, and the way to cleanse the soul is not necessarily a pilgrimage, but also a search for oneself.

Iceland’s land area is not large, but it is a typical country with vast land and sparsely populated areas. Despite the harsh living conditions here, Icelanders live long lives.

The harsh living environment in Iceland has created a rule among Icelanders that "father and son cannot go fishing at the same time." As for the reason, it is to prevent accidents and preserve the inheritance of the bloodline.

Despite this, Iceland's population is still very sparse. The distance between buildings is also far apart. On the desolate and empty gray land, one lonely house stayed quietly in the wilderness.

Maybe it’s because people respect nature more in a harsh environment. Iceland may be more harmonious with nature than any other country in the world. Cattle and sheep share the same road as people, and Icelanders drive very carefully for fear of accidentally hurting their animal friends.

Iceland also has a unique animal species - the Icelandic horse. Icelandic horses are short in stature, have proud hairstyles, and are naturally good at various dance moves. Riding an Icelandic horse and galloping across a misty land, there will be a different kind of prosperity in the deserted wilderness.

Iceland is probably one of the most popular places for lovers of surreal photography. The unique cold tones and inherent melancholy here give photography enthusiasts a very large creative space.

In her composition "tapae og fundie", Jessica Tremp shows us this perfect fit between creativity and environment. For a photographer, the connotation of the picture comes from the theme given by the photographer. The rendering and foil of the theme largely depend on the fit with the subject and the environment.

This set of works just illustrates this point. The melancholy and loneliness that Iceland exudes are exactly the emotions expressed by photographer Jessica Tremp.

Iceland, the end of the world. An ultimate place of solitude, an eternally misty blue dream.