was born in 1978 in the town of Bergen, Norway. This is also where he has had his photographic base the last couple of years. However, his inspirational muse was found through the encounter with the rugged coastal landscapes of his home Island of Vigra, outside the town of Aalesund. His family have lived in this area for many generations. Growing up here has given him a strong bond to these melancholy, windswept coastal landscapes. This was where his photography started, and he has since then ventured out to explore most of Norway’s far- stretched western coastline, as well as the alpine areas along the sea front.
His photographic quest have brought him to exotic destinations such as the Faroe Islands, Iceland and other parts of the far North, coincidentally keeping within the realm of the Old Norse culture. A journey on which he intend to continue, including destinations such as Greenland and Svalbard.
Rune has a strong concern for the parts of nature which are still untouched by man. Currently he is working on a project in connection with preservation of the alpine regions of Sunnmøre which are threatened by the plans for a new major power line. "Untouched nature is becoming a scarce recourse, and it is important for me to communicate the unique features of this majestic mountain region to as many as possible. Hopefully I will be able to make a small difference."
Apart from photography he has a passionate interest for music, existentialism and philosophy in general, interest which feed back into his photography. In his own words: “Each landscape has its own melody and I always listen to music when post- processing my images. I usually find some music which suit the mood of the photograph in order to stir my own imagination, most of the time improving the end result.” His photographs are said to transcend but not deny their literal situation, in the sense of a soothing, melancholic mood with references to the eternal aspects of nature, independent of man.
So far some of his photographic merits include a Silver Award from Gullsnitt and Black & White Magazine Silver and Merit awards in their Single Image Contest. He also has several Honorable Mentions from the International Photography Awards (IPA) and Landskonkurransen (NFF). Rune Werner Molnes’ photographs have been published in many international photography magazines. His signed and limited prints can be found on the walls of well renowned businesses, collectors and public organizations.
“I have often been asked what photography means to me personally, and why I am so passionate about it. I suspect that trying to dissect the foundation for ones motivation can be a perilous task for any aspiring artist. Those inspirational roots probably needs to be left alone in the realm of the subconscious. However some aspects spring to mind in an attempt to describe my relationship to photography, and why I feel compelled to pursue it as an art form. That is a longing to understand and fully experience the grandness, mystery and innocence of nature that humans are so much a part of, but at the same time intrinsically separated from. An attempt at maintaining a child like curiosity and openness towards the world, despite age and reason working the opposite way. Norse culture nostalgia. The magic of life and the frailty of the human condition. Existentialism. Recurring misanthropy in relation to the aggregate behavior of our species. Solitude, reflection and a almost religious bond to the coastal landscapes of the far North. The perpetual quest for adventure, agape in the non religious sense and the constant awareness of my own mortality.”