Close encounters Photo Gallery by Mattias Backström at pbase.com

Close encounters

Most of the statues depicted in this gallery were born long before I was even thought of, and it's probable that they will all outlive me.
But during my stay here, I've decided to try to care for them and spend some extra time with them and not just pass them by and take them for granted, as most people tend to do.
Give it a try yourself. The next time you see a statue, give it a hug or say something to it with a smile. It might just smile right back at you...

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Johanna		21-Sep-2010 22:18
Long time since I visited, but I get more and more impressed! I am proud of you! Hugs!

Gabriel Fiddler		05-Aug-2010 11:40
This must be the funniest, most hilarious gallery on pbase. I wonder how many times you had to negotiate with the authorities to keep your skin and camera intact? Anyway, it looks like you always prevailed, so keep them coming, to our delight! Voted, of course

Guest		04-Sep-2009 17:18
What a stunning collection of photographs. I have really enjoyed looking at them!

Guest		24-Aug-2009 10:54
This is an amazing gallery!! Fantastic work!! ~V~

wingspar		15-Aug-2009 02:14
You have quite the imagination. These are great.

Guest		08-Aug-2009 12:20
I love the craziness and the kick-ass composition of your work Mattias. Truly makes me come back and laugh! V

Guest		03-Aug-2009 20:22
Haha! Brilliant idea! Some really funny shots in here, well done :). V

Jean		30-Jun-2009 16:23
WOW what a creative way to photograph such marvelous works of art!! Bravo - you have a wonderful sense of humor too!

willem fray		28-Jun-2009 21:39
Great gallery, i'll recognize some of the pictures from the Vigelandpark in Oslo, i had a talk with some of the man!

Nella Pascal		28-Jun-2009 09:49
Mattias, I've been to this gallery before, and I had to come back again to have a good laugh. This just cracks me up on so many levels. I absolutely love this and your sense of humor is very entertaining! Every shot is dead on. What a wonderful idea. Thanks so much for sharing your vision.

Bob Behm		19-May-2009 14:13
This is hilaroius, laughed for 15 minutes. So creative. You see this everywhere and you know you want to jump in but ... some people can pull it off. Thanks for the laugh.

Guest		19-May-2009 11:45
Great Gallery! Great Idea! V!

Jola Dziubinska		13-May-2009 10:08
I'm back here in this wonderful collection, this is really something, Mattias. V. No new encounters?

Guest		21-Sep-2008 12:49
Hej Mattias! Thank YOU, You made my day with this album, Fantastic. BIG Vote! Per (in Rome)!

Maria W		17-Aug-2008 22:21
200 Mattias. Not bad. :)

Paradoxal Studio Classic		18-Jul-2008 22:06
Haa ! What a gallery !!! Great and patient work ! :oD

arminb		24-Jun-2008 21:55
so insane, but sooooooo great :-)

Hodero		27-May-2008 21:45
Eldar amigo,we all started somewhere ;-))) Didn't you tell him about your collection of plastic inflatable pink "statues", Hahahahaaaaaaa!

Eldar Kadymov		27-May-2008 20:30
I was laughing my ass off while looking at all this, terrificaly crazy and funny gallery, bravo ! V One thing is a bit weird... your thirst for stone cold babes and dudes, LOL

Aud Elise Sjøsæther		12-May-2008 09:33
Elsker lekenheten og humoren din : ) BIG V

Guest		08-Jan-2008 01:25
Very original gallery! Voted.

Guest		09-Nov-2007 16:39
Ha! What a funny gallery. You've certainly met a lot of friendly statues in your time. I'm sure they will remember.

Marcia Manzello		09-Nov-2007 15:34
WOW...this is what I call imagination! Well done job! VOTED

Marga de Deugd		09-Nov-2007 09:24
Great idea. Wonderful gallery

blizzard		01-Nov-2007 17:45
excellent gallery it is fresh and richly creative you have a great sense of humor very impressive camera work vote

Vivian Beks		01-Nov-2007 17:34
Lots of humour in this gallery, very funny!!! Love it!!!!

d kay		01-Nov-2007 11:33
come 2 Australia mate, i will show u all the statues here!

Greg Little		28-Oct-2007 10:01
Fantastic collection! Well done. ...any citations in the process?

Laura (Lucvn's daughter)		04-Oct-2007 21:41
Great gallery ^^ You look like a crazy man =) It's fun ! Regards

Guest		02-Oct-2007 15:15
insightful

Guest		31-Aug-2007 04:14
Very Unique and Humours gallery!

Luc VN		30-Aug-2007 08:08
Great gallery, wel tought of and very well executed. Thumbs up for this one! Voted of course. Regards, Luc

Maurice Burke Photography		28-Aug-2007 22:21
Love this whole idea. Got guts, my man. Let me know what jail you're locked up in and I'll come visit...(V)

Shimon Levkovich		23-Aug-2007 23:56
Terific and genial gallery!!!!!!!!!!! GMV

Jen Bixler		21-Aug-2007 13:23
What a clever, clever gallery! Made me smile.

POMAH		19-Aug-2007 16:10
Ha ha ha!! I couldn't stop laughing!! Very original. Big vote!

arminb		11-Aug-2007 11:45
wish I could vote more than once :-D

Georges Noblet		09-Aug-2007 05:44
A masterpiece, for the ideas and for realization. My warmest and enthusiastic congrats! Your interpretation of the statues and your postures, your settings, are excellent with a great sense of humour. Thank you very much for this fine galleries.Voted! ^o^ Kind regards, Georges N

Martha Albuquerque		04-Jul-2007 05:06
uhuuuuuuuuuuu this is wonderful! hahahaha.. genius you are, very criative! big vote*

Terri Steele		27-Jun-2007 13:10
LOL! This is a wonderfully creative gallery... I love it ;)

sam		26-Jun-2007 12:18
hi great creativity.... but ur hands are not on the right places on girl statues....ha ha ha

Phil Douglis		20-Jun-2007 21:20
I just found more pictures of those Brataslava statues, Mattias, that show a bit more context. Here they arehttp://www.purdes.com/gallery/bratislava/statues.html

Phil Douglis		20-Jun-2007 21:14
You have some very incongruous images here, Mattias. I just saw the question you left for me in the pbase forum back in April re my shot of the photographer statue athttp://www.pbase.com/image/20740742 I shot it in Brataslava in the Slovkian Republic in 2003. The clever sculptor has others around town, including one of Napoleon leaning on the back of a bench in the town square. There is more info on these quirky statues in Brataslava here: http://www.hotels-in-bratislava.com/bratislava_statues.html Enjoy.

Guest		19-Jun-2007 03:43
This is a wonderful wacky gallery! Funny

Me		16-Jun-2007 21:35
perv!!!! you and your girl statues!

kimberly borchardt		21-Apr-2007 07:43
The next time I see a statue, I will think "what would Mattias do?"...!

Ernst van Loon		11-Apr-2007 21:10
I've been to your galleries in the past, but must heve missed these. Shame to me! Great idea, great execution! you make statues look like living species. Please keep them coming, your pictures make me smile :-D

Bruce Ward		06-Apr-2007 02:01
This is cool. I really like your sense of humour. Nice job.

Sabine Stetson		22-Mar-2007 16:29
this is such a big smile gallery...wished i could vote again... totally love your humor...how many sculptures are there? did you ever count? great job....

Guest		20-Feb-2007 18:05
A great and original fun work! Very nice, Mattias! v.

Guest		09-Feb-2007 23:21
vote, vote and VOTE!!!

Lisbeth Landstrøm		04-Feb-2007 22:18
Thank you so much for the many good laughs here :D

Guest		27-Jan-2007 19:16
Hej! I really dig this series. Appreciate your humor and energy. :)

PRU		23-Dec-2006 12:07
Congratulations! An excellent and amused work. One day I will dedicate a post in your honor in my erotic sculpture blog. Thank you for the pics! sexculptures.blogspot.com

susan C		01-Dec-2006 17:23
Very funny and imaginative. Do reindeer really fly? These pictures reminded me of a Charlie Chaplin movie. Where Charlie sleeps on a statue one night, not knowing it is about to be unvailed infront of hundreds of people. When he does wake up he takes no notice of them. As if he was doing something perfectly normal. P.S. Don't get too carried away with the female statues. Susan from HAmilton, Ontario CAnada

1moremile		26-Nov-2006 10:53
Very clever and creative. V.

Guest		25-Nov-2006 22:38
Ha, Ha, Ha! You´re getting better and better!

geonni banner		25-Nov-2006 18:45
Great Photos! And you have a sense of humor! How refreshing!

Jan Koster		17-Nov-2006 19:19
Humor on PBase, at last! Great gallery!!

Maurice Burke Photography		29-Oct-2006 10:50
Sin-sational, Mattias. I love it! Regards, Maurice

Sue Robertson		29-Oct-2006 06:57
LOL.. I know you are not allowed to photograph someone else's work, a big no no in camera clubs, so this little gallery of yours is a terrific idea. Keep them coming. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you are doing this, how funny it must look!

Rosemarie Kusserow		27-Oct-2006 21:03
Hi Matthias, this is a funny idea and very well transformed, I like your images and your comment, a big vote, regards, Rosemarie

Guest		27-Oct-2006 18:02
still one of my favorite galleries.

Rob Oele		27-Oct-2006 11:49
Hi Matthias, Very funny and dedicated work. Voted By the way, there are a lot of stautues around, you lucky man! See you, Rob

Richard Calmes		27-Oct-2006 10:45
Very entertaining! V

Peg O'Brien		26-Oct-2006 12:58
I had such a great time going through this gallery. You are a very funny guy and the photos are terrific. I'll nver look at statues the same way again! Big vote!

EMangl		26-Oct-2006 10:23
lego become to small for you ? it's a wild gallery, great fun :-)

Guest		26-Oct-2006 06:51
hmmm...

Kevin Warren		25-Oct-2006 17:35
Great stuff! V

Squared C		24-Oct-2006 00:02
You know, these never cease to make me laugh. How many times have you been arrested or stopped for climbing on these? In the states it would be many times! Thanks for keeping up the series!

Barbara Heide		21-Oct-2006 22:38
voted of course!

Barbara Heide		21-Oct-2006 22:38
lol! very funny indeed!yes you are very creative and crazy! that's nice!

arminb		21-Oct-2006 09:22
Forgot to tell, my vote for your creativity and this splendid gallery, whenever I need inspiration and a laugh, I'm finding it here :-DDD

Guest		19-Oct-2006 15:08
Every time I visit this gallery,it makes me laugh out loud! What a treat,Mattias!!!!

Rod		02-Oct-2006 08:51
You did very well making so many shots very interesting to look at. Me & the missus had a good laugh. Thanks mate:-)

arminb		02-Oct-2006 06:33
How on earth could I miss this gallery - ROTFLMAO!!! Love your style! :-DDD

sue anne		29-Sep-2006 13:06
Mattias, Enjoyed your gallery with the statues. Did you self timer these or someone take them of you and the statues. Thank for new perspective, :)

Guest		07-Sep-2006 23:28
Loved your gallery...what an imagination you have!

Steve Thuman		27-Aug-2006 16:20
Looks like you had a wonderful day together. And you have some great photos to remember it by as well.

fotabug		26-Aug-2006 15:55
This is wonderful! It was so much fun to go through this gallery and I didn't just smile, I had a good laugh. Great idea and you fit into each scene so well. Whoever shot the pictures did a great job too! Bravo!

CIS		16-Jul-2006 15:08
Absolutely great collection here...enjoyed all the shots and smiles it brought!!! Vote

Guest		10-Jul-2006 20:32
annorlunda och kul :)

fred_il		02-Jul-2006 13:54
Well done, its excellent!

Ray Rebortira		27-Jan-2006 04:06
Wicked, funny, brilliant!!! Deserves a standing ovation. Bravo!!!

Jarek M		10-Jan-2006 04:49
Fantastic!! One of the most entertaining galleries on PBase.

Enchong R		25-Sep-2005 02:48
Great idea for a gallery.Excellent!

Raven		09-Jul-2005 18:37
they are fab pics Mattias! i laughed alot looking at them! thankyou for sharing them.. :))

Robert Dupuis		24-Jun-2005 15:30
Very interrestig galery. Very creative Robert

ruthemily		22-Jun-2005 05:58
they keep getting better and better! keep it up! :)

Guest		17-Jun-2005 14:30
Good Pictures! Congrulations! Emanuel http://www.azeri.net .

Guest		17-Jun-2005 13:13
Haha, ser kul ut! Vill också vara med! Klänga på gubbar, pose-a med statyer. Det bara rycker i benen, haha. Kul att du skriver så mycket om varje galleri, me like. :)

kgundlapalli		02-Jun-2005 05:15
Very creative. Everyone is fantastic. How much time you took for this album ? Thanks for sharing them with us. Krishna

Mark Koeppen		01-Jun-2005 22:31
Very creative and extremely funny. My regrets to the sculturer. VOTED.

alexeig		01-Jun-2005 22:01
Very funny gallery, lots of humor here

JazzyJess		01-Jun-2005 08:23
G&M said it all !!! Voted !

Marisa Livet		31-May-2005 12:28
Fly higher, young Mattias!It's so refreshing when a person can be creative, clever, humorous and intelligent without taking himself seriously, without being vulgar and without playing the unbearable role of highbrow! I adore you! Marisa

Michele Rodgers		30-May-2005 17:30
I think the statues were less lonely for a day because you engaged them in their many activities. I hope you go back for another visit.

Guest		30-May-2005 01:46
Intelligent design.

Guest		29-May-2005 23:24
I LOVE LOVE this gallery. I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time. Thanks Mattias! Vote.

Guest		29-May-2005 11:44
This gallery is hilarious. Very ingenious I must add.

kimberly borchardt		19-May-2005 04:06
I bet you're one of those who "plays well with others." It's remarkable the way you manage to blend in with the various poses! You have a great imagination.

Guest		07-May-2005 17:22
Excellent gallery! What a unique idea! Well, maybe it's not so unique as it is that not many people would want to do such things for fear of what others might think. :-) I give you lots of credit, you deserve it. Great job - keep it up!

s_barbour		05-May-2005 23:17
This gallery is hilarious! I'm so glad I checked it out ;o)

Sabine Stetson		27-Apr-2005 18:27
thanks for a lot of smiles....:))) great and unusual gallery!! sabine

ruthemily		26-Apr-2005 17:57
what an awesome idea! like someone else has said, i won't be able to walk past a statue without wondering how you would make a photo out of it! thanks for the laugh :)

kisha		24-Apr-2005 10:25
such an imaginative gallery ... it'll be difficult to walk by a statue and not think of your photographs -- thank you for sharing these works of art

Guest		22-Apr-2005 08:08
gorgeous!

boo		20-Apr-2005 14:19
wicked!

Jess		20-Apr-2005 14:06
Gillar statybilderna skarpt, iofs vet du ju det redan, börjar fundera när de tar slut nere i Malmö, då lär du ju vidga dina vyer å kolla runt efter fler?? Eller? :D Många kramar från Jess

Kerry		17-Apr-2005 07:32
This is quite a 'funsome' set of images.. Some beautiful, others, well, silly.. But, all, nonetheless, well done.. Good Work! Pix

Guest		11-Apr-2005 13:01
Wonderful gallery! (Has my Vote)

Sasha S		07-Apr-2005 20:05
Good for some smiles. Nice to see you're keeping busy!

Graham Whitehead		07-Apr-2005 08:11
Great idea for a gallery, well executed. I must give it a try and go and hug Queen Victoria!

Guest		06-Apr-2005 18:27
uniqueness defines tha photographer and your work is definetely very unique! hats off to you! -the stranger

Donna Lear		06-Apr-2005 05:30
This is a fantastic gallery .. and it made my day to see it. Very, very creative stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing more - and am convinced statue interaction is a wonderful thing.

Guest		06-Apr-2005 01:54
i needed a laugh tonight and this gallery was it. awesome stuff. you never think to ever interact with statues, but from the looks of your photography, it might be rather interesting, both for you and those watching you too.

Guest		05-Apr-2005 23:38
Funny stuff, Mattias!

Guest		05-Apr-2005 14:20
I love this, brought a giant smile to my face!

YNW		04-Apr-2005 23:49
Mattias, amazingly creative job!!! You make the statue vivid!! I am looking forward to more of your wonderul interaction with statue. Cheers Yanan

Guest		04-Apr-2005 18:21
Ok.. I came here to vote. And I already did. Awesome Idea. (Keep on going. Some day one of those statues will talk to you)

Hodero		04-Apr-2005 13:00
This Gallery is soo well thought of and sooo FUNNY....you are great !

Mattias Backström		04-Apr-2005 00:17
Haha, I'm glad you found that one, Mik. I tried to take a shot of me interacting witg that exact statue a couple of days ago around midnight, but it was way too dark there then. I'll return there when the sun is out.

Guest		03-Apr-2005 23:01
wow, you actually started the gallery when you were a kid? http://www.pbase.com/mistermattias/image/36158642

Guest		02-Apr-2005 16:35
A great idea, nicely realized, with understatement and humour! Vote!

Barri Olson		31-Mar-2005 04:19
I have laughed..!!!

Marisa Livet		29-Mar-2005 15:11
Mattias, you are never disappointing in showing your intelligence, humour and originality! Vote! Thank you for the smile you have just given me, even though I'm not a statue.... Marisa

John Hastings		29-Mar-2005 11:54
Great idea translated into a great gallery – vote.

Adalberto Tiburzi		28-Mar-2005 18:05
Original, playful gallery!(and lol at Ira's comment, he has stolen my idea... ;-))

Sam_C		20-Mar-2005 20:03
Cool gallery! Weird and eccentric, good stuff!- Sam

Guest		20-Mar-2005 13:37
Cool gallery. It would appear from the photos that Malmoe has more statues than people. Some day they may erect a statue to you Mattias as the 21st century photographer who so eloquently captured images of your great city.

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