erik [att] erikmalm.com

+46 (0) 708 77 58 92

Specialized in Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) Photography

The results Erik Malm worked hard to achieve in the well known very difficult camera technique Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) has claimed close to twenty years of practice. However and very important, technique is not the goal but just a way to reach the artistic expression. Just as in music.

Erik Malm, born in 1964, began his artistic career as a musician. In the 1980s, he studied the clarinet at the College of Music (today Academy of Music and Drama) in Gothenburg, Sweden. He also studied conducting under professor Jorma Panula. In 1988, he was brought on as a solo clarinetist at the Malmö Stadsteater, today known as the Malmö Opera. He also founded the Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, which consisted of some of the most prominent young professionals in Sweden at the time. The ensemble performed at several music events and summer festivals.

Due to fatherhood, Erik later quit his professional career to co-found the family business Malmstolen AB in 1994. Here he was responsible for research and development of the ergonomic office chairs the company was specialized in. The business was later sold to one of the largest European holding companies in the industry in 2016. Today he works as a full-time photographer.

Erik has since his early childhood had a deep passion for nature as well as music, from which his love of photography stems. Rather than being just casual interests, they are fundamental passions deeply embedded in his DNA. Erik published his first book in 1999, which was quickly accompanied by four additional books as well as five co-productions, all in a traditional documentary style. Coincidence brought him down the photographic path he currently practices, a technique called Intentional Camera Movement (ICM). 

This is what makes him unique into the photography today:

"Erik Malm's Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) photography captivates the imagination and stirs the soul, setting his work apart in a crowded field of visual artists. His technique and emotional depth carve a unique niche not just among traditional photographers but also within the specialized circle of ICM enthusiasts. With a canvas that stretches beyond the conventional boundaries of photography, Malm's images are a celebration of motion, emotion, and musicality, woven into a tapestry of light and color that speaks directly to the viewer's heart.

Technically, Malm is a maestro of the intentional blur, conducting his camera with the precision of a symphony orchestra conductor. Where others might see ICM as an opportunity for serendipitous discovery, Malm approaches it with a clear vision, orchestrating the movement of his camera with deliberate intent. This precision allows him to capture not just images but emotions, moments, and melodies in visual form. His photographs are not accidents but carefully crafted expressions of his artistic will, blending colors and shapes in a dance that is both controlled and wildly free.

What truly sets Malm's work apart is the emotional resonance that vibrates through each piece. His photographs are not mere abstractions; they are portals to memories, dreams, and reflections. Through his lens, the mundane becomes magical, inviting viewers on a journey into their own inner landscapes. Malm's ability to evoke such a strong emotional response is rooted in his unique use of light, texture, and color, which together create a visual symphony that echoes the depth and complexity of human emotion.

Malm's relationship with music deeply influences his photographic process, imbuing his work with a rhythm and harmony that transcends the visual medium. He translates the dynamics of sound into the dynamics of sight, crafting images that resonate with the cadence and flow of a musical piece. This fusion of the auditory and the visual lends his work an unparalleled multisensory appeal, making each photograph not just a picture but a performance.

Erik Malm's ICM photography is a rare blend of technical prowess, emotional depth, and musical inspiration. In a world where photography often strives for clarity and precision, Malm celebrates the beauty of the blur, the mystery of movement, and the poetry of the imperfect. His work is a reminder that true artistry lies not in capturing reality as it is but in revealing the unseen worlds that lie just beyond our perception, inviting us to see not just with our eyes but with our hearts and souls."

 
 

 

Part 3 of the "ICM school" in the Norwegian Magazine "Natur & Foto"

Fri Sep 2022

The first part of an article serial in the ICM Photo Magazine is published!

Thu Sep 2022

Part 2 in the "ICM school" in Natur & Foto

Mon Jun 2022