So I've been living in Stockholm for over a month now. Did you know that they created Pippi Longstocking over here?? And so many Europeans call Bob Dylan "Bobba Dyllando." Ha!
I certainly don't know the country very well yet. I'm still learning the basics and figuring out the people. But there are some key differences, that relate to art making, that are worth jotting down here.
The main thing is that there self publishing or 'd.i.y.' is a very exotic idea over here. It makes me appreciate how much the idea of pridefully putting out your work and not caring what people think (or at least SAYING you dont care what people think) has seeped into peoples minds in 'the states' (or 'the big country' as everyone calls it here). A publisher or gallery makes it REAL over here...otherwise you're making a zine for fun. There are exceptions, of course...I think Kuti Kuti in Finland makes a lot of Swedes wanna throw caution to the wind. But, still...seeing self published art here is super rare.
Saying you're "an artist" here is a big step. But virtually EVERYONE makes some sort of art, which is incredible! In the US, if you ask someone what they do for a living, they generally say 'oh, I work at a bookstore but its total bullshit, its not the real me, etc.' Here, its more "i work the graveyard shift at a casino!" Usually said with a smile!
And these are really creative people who have that attitude. So many people have told me 'if you work a day job, it's important to think of your art as a hobby.' Whereas we generally think the opposite, right?
And what's incredible about Swedish people is that they're all hyper aware of this quality. "Yes, we are very uncomfortable admitting to have ambition in art" etc. In a way, that's how I envision the best art happening: people making art but not tying it to any ambition. Everyone draws here, at least a little. And people who dont consider themselves artists get a ton of enjoyment out of art here, which I think is rarer in the US ('i cant draw...im not an artist' etc). But the art that I see in galleries here is, often, missing that special something that unchecked ambition seems to add.
I think a bit of it may be due to how HARSH the living in the states is compared to life here. I think people in the US think "well, I gotta make this beautiful piece of art to free myself from this hard situation I'm in!" Here it's more "I could make art...but maybe I will make a really nice dinner instead!"
There is also so little attachment to junk culture here but that's another story.
10 comments:
Stockholm has the sexiest underground in europe.
i find this post really interesting, and uplifting. it's good to know that not every culture is as creatively restrictive as here, because ive told so many 'non art' friends like, 'hey, you should just keep a notebook and doodle in it or something! it's easier than you think' but everyone is convinced they're not qualified.
maybe i should move to sweden or something.
the thing that's most fuck'd for me is that i'm the dude with the oh i can't do that i'm not a_______
but my_______ is making a nice dinner
i have yet to make my favorite meal well which is sad because it's eggs over easy with hashbrwons & sourdough toast
do they have copy machines around as much as amerikkk dose
do minis pass as junk culture out there
i hear tell they dig on manga a lot
Well Im not saying its better then the USA re: creative restriction. In a way the US is better, yknow? because once you decide to make art, the skys the limit in how far you wanna go with it.
Here it is a little more playing at the edges of it.
Good and bad to both places in that way.
I think everyone should make art, and here everyone does...I just wish people would make it a little more passionately maybe?
with junk culture i jsut mean people aren't super into ALF or whatever their equivalent of that is.
Austin, what have you noticed as to people's general familiarity with comics over there? Molly, Lane, and I all had comics class with two Swedish exchange students and both had had little previous exposure to comics and had some trouble even reading them in class. I think it was that freshness that led to them making probably the most inventive and interesting comics in the class.
Um, everyone here really like Dan Clowes and Dungeon? Basically the same amount of knowledge as here? People reaaallly like Donald Duck.
My friends here are Clara Bessijelle
http://bessijelle.wordpress.com/
and Emelie Ostergren
http://www.emelieostergren.se/
and they know a lot about comics but...
People like Anke Feuchtenberger and Atak.
The queen bee of Swedish comics is coco moodyson
http://cocomoodysson.blogspot.com/2010/01/jag-ar-ditt-fan-in-i-doden.html
hey buddy
i wonder about the harshness you talk about.
graveyard shift at a casino sounds harsh. i'd like to think there are people making art ambitiously, energetically and with focus in america, compounded and fed through an embrace of their life, not a wounded catharsis from it. or something.
what makes the quality of life easier in stockholm? different philosophy leading to less angst? cheaper? i feel like there are cheap places to live in america and be contented and make art as well as dinner.
i think clara's "personal hand alphabet" is amazing.
There's some quality of transcendence that we Americans are going for in making art, I think. It's not just doing it because it's fun (as an activity as opposed to, say, watching TV or playing video games) - it's hard to integrate it into our lives. We see art-making as this other thing that's for the purpose of being an "artist" instead of as just one of the things you do. Most of us do (me included).
But there is something good about the American spirit of fuck-you-motherfucker-because-I-have-this-thing-to-say-that's-important-to-me-and-your-so-called-craft-is-my-enemy-because-it-gets-in-the-way-of-my-self-expression.
Jason: yes, exactly!
Jesse: nah i dont think american art is 'wounded catharsis' either (nice phrase though). i guess its less harsh precisely because for the lack of what jason describes.
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