Book Review: ‘Look’ by Viggo Mortensen

In his latest collection of photographs, Look, poet, photographer, painter, director, and actor Viggo Mortensen has compiled images taken in various locations around the world that serve as a reminder of the magic and wonder available to all of us. While best known for his work in film, over the years Mortensen has rightfully established a reputation as a visual artist with an eye for being able to see beauty where others don’t. 

In keeping with the collection’s title there is very little text in the book. Aside from the simple titles, usually a location name or some such indicator of place, and date, the photos are unaccompanied by any explanation or description. A freeform poem, each line a few words at most, serving as the work’s preface, encourages us to look and see: ‘stop/listen/view/perfections/wild and fragile’

In this world of smartphones and social media people are less inclined than ever to look beyond their own insular world – to even acknowledge their surroundings. We have installed electronic blinkers cutting us off from everything around us and in the process have forgotten the pleasure of simply seeing, and lost our appreciation for the beauty around us.

Mortensen looks, and more importantly sees. The photographs included here aren’t carefully posed, or even particularly planned. They are a seemingly haphazard collection of random shots put together in no particular order. Titles and dates give us an indication of where and when a photo was taken, but the pictures aren’t assembled in chronological, or any other kind of order. Photos bearing similar names or dates pop up throughout the book without regard as to whether their neighbor on the adjacent page is of the same vintage.

However, this doesn’t reflect a lack of care on Mortensen’s part. Instead it feels like we are being encouraged to embrace the randomness of the world around us. The fact that a photo of a lighting rig assembled amidst the foliage of a forest (taken on set of the movie 13 Lives) rubs shoulders with images of a field or a simple skyscape help to emphasize his plea for us to “stop/listen” to wherever in the world we happen to be.

Mortensen’s photos are examples of what he preaches. They aren’t staged or posed – he hasn’t set up his camera in a field for hours in an attempt to capture that perfect moment. These are glimpses of the world as it passes by or grabs his attention. Photos of light pouring through leaves, a path through the woods, a patio with a cat turning its head to look back at the human who had the nerve to take its picture, are examples of how he has grabbed random moments of fascination out of his surroundings to appreciate and share.

While there is no formal staging of these photos, there’s also never the sense they aren’t carefully composed. Mortensen has an eye for an image that allows him to take a spontaneous shot that has the same impact artistically as one that was planned for hours. While it’s true he’s a trained visual artist, painter, photographer, and director, that doesn’t mean his ability to see is unique. It’s something we all could learn if we simply take the time.

Look by Viggo Mortensen reminds us to stop and look at the world around us. However, it also takes this advice one step further – he is also telling us to not only look, but to breathe in what we see; make it part of ourselves so we can regain the connection to the world beyond ourselves. We are surrounded by beauty and wonder all the time and this book is a timely reminder of that fact.