Søren Solkær: Black Sun

Hypnotic visions of starling migration patterns across Europe

With his project Black Sun, Danish photographer Søren Solkær (born 1969) captures the large murmurations of starlings that take place by the Wadden Sea near his native home of southern Denmark. Following their routes has led him on years-long journeys to Italy, the Netherlands, England and Catalonia. Inspired by classical landscape painting, calligraphy and Japanese woodcuts, Solkær presents a series of graphic images featuring landscape and great flocks of starlings, performing an unrivaled display of collaboration and performance skills. These mesmerizing murmurations create a strong visual expression, like an ink drawing or a calligraphic brushstroke asserting itself against the sky. The first edition of Black Sun received global acclaim with features in National Geographic, the Observer and the New York Times. Although Solkær is best known for his portraits of celebrities such as Björk, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Patti Smith and others, these fascinating photographs—packaged in a sumptuous stamped cloth binding—comprise a compelling part of his oeuvre that leaves the viewer in awe at the wonders of nature.