The etching Søstre, Sisters, by Norwegian artist Giske Sigmundstad shows us two women walking towards an ominous horizon filled with both darkness and clouds lined with red. The sisters walk towards the source of light, a light colouring the land with fiery hues of orange and yellow. One looks towards the horizon, perhaps towards the end of the road. Her hair is let out and her coat has tints of green. The other one, hair tied back, looks downwards. She seems to survey the ground immediately on front of them. Or is she more regretful and hesitant in her steps than her sister? One looks towards a goal, the other contemplates the road. Two different attitudes arrested in time, because even if their feet and bodies suggest movement there is a stillness in the picture that invites the viewer to join as if through a sudden opening.
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The expression "water under the bridge" refers to how experiences and conflicts from the past are rendered less salient with the passing of time. We decide to forget matters that once were urgent. Memories of them are like water that has long since flowed past: the memories stream under the bridge and out to a more diffuse horizon where they can no longer be grasped. The constant movement of water, washing away dead leaves and debris, can be cleansing and comforting, even though some drops of it remain with us. Giske Sigmundstad's etchings preserve this somewhat melancholy and fluid atmosphere, and sketch small scenes that can appear fragile, even though they retain the formative strength that memory imbues.
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