Gerry Johansson19882005SVERIGEFotografins Hus Contemporary Exhibition Hall

Gerry Johansson’s series entitled Sverige (Sweden) comprises photographs taken in Swedish conurbations between 1988 and 2005. The pictures are borne up by their iconographic signs and symbols, and the viewer feels very much at home with them. The melancholy often considered a characteristic Swedish trait is tangible, but his images open up to various levels of interpretation. There are trompe l’oeil effects as well – photographs of existing places form the backbone of his fictional narrative. His photos also offer us the opportunity to analyze times and places, things we recognize and can relate to. Representation is important in his work, not only physical representation, where the photos were taken, but more importantly the aura contained in his images.