Some Kind of Heavenly Fire
Maria Lax
Setanta Books
Debossed cloth cover
160 x 200 mm
88 pages
2020
“I’m from a small town in Northern Finland surrounded by a vast, sparsely populated wilderness. Most pass through the town on their way someplace else without ever knowing it was a hotspot for UFO sightings in the 1960’s. Unaware of this history myself, it wasn’t until I read my grandfather’s book that I learnt of the incredible stories of supernatural events, bravery and struggle against hardship in what is largely a barren land. Already suffering from dementia, he was unable to answer any of the questions I had so I went looking for the answers. I turned to the people who had seen the mysterious lights, to newspaper archives and my family’s photo albums from the era. The UFO sightings coincided with a time of great struggle for Northern Finland. People flooded from the countryside to the cities in search of jobs leaving abandoned houses scattered across this beautiful but harsh landscape. It’s no wonder that the UFO sightings embodied a fear of the future, the unknown and the inexorable shift in lifestyles and livelihoods going on around them. Some reacted to the mysterious lights with fear, some took them as a sign they were not alone.”
About the Artist
Maria Lax is a London based photographer originally from a small town in Northern Finland. She is known for her use of colour and and experimental camera techniques. Maria’s first monograph, Some Kind of Heavenly Fire was published in February 2020 and is currently on it’s second print run. It was chosen as one of the photobooks of the year by Photobookstore.
About the Publisher
Setanta Books is a photography publisher and rare fiction online bookseller based in London. We specialise in collectible rare first edition photography and fiction books. Also, we sell limited edition signed prints.
