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"This exhibition is not simply about the process of journeying around the world; it is about specific events, times and places from my life, and each work encapsulates particular thoughts, memories and emotions". Chapter 1: Travel
Love
Ung & Kar, meaning Young & In love, was a Swedish comic that ran from 1972 to 1975. It was a very long search that took me well over a year to hunt down the copies of this vintage comic that I needed.
As young Swedish girl we all read these love stories, and I remember how every story ended with a kiss. I love the graphics and the 1970s saturated colours that you just don’t find anymore. It reminds me of teenage love and the way you thought that love was going to be forever. Travel doesn’t only mean journeying around the world; each dog takes me back to a time and a place in my life. In this case I had no idea that this particular dog would link my past with my future.
Linnea
Sweden reminds me of flowers, the sea, blue sky, fresh air and summer which is my favourite season. This is one reason why I chose flowers for the Linnea dog.
The Linnea dog is built using original prints from a book printed in 1920 with an introduction by the Swedish professor Carl von Linné. The names of the flowers are in Latin and their very first classification came from Linné. He simplified the scientific nomenclature of plants and animals. This system, with two Latin names for every species of animal or plant is still used the world over and facilitates communication between all botanists, gardeners, zoologists, birdwatchers etc. By making reference to Carl Von Linné and the original nomenclature he awarded to all flora Sjögren reminds us that although cultural heritage is bound by time and place it has allowed ideas to be transferred the world over by breaking the boundaries of geography and language.
By coincidence during the making of this work Sjögren was made aware that 2007 was the year of this celebrated Swedish professor’s 300th birthday.
Doggybag
This dog is symbolic of my love for food, being the true taurean that I am. He is covered in twenty-four carat gold leaf and sits in his own white doggy bag, ready to go.
Miss sixty
My wardrobe, like me, is a real mixture of old and new. Thanks to my mum’s fashion sense my wardrobe is filled with vintage designer clothes, bags and jewellery from the sixties.
Hero
This dog is covered in selected pages with Swedish text from the vintage comic strip The Phantom, The Ghost Who Walks (or Fantomen as we say in Sweden) . The comic is about Fantomen, a hero who protects those in need against evil. He lives as a recluse in a death skull in the jungle, with his two companions: a wolf called ‘Devil’ and a horse called ‘Hero’. Those who faced him were usually marked for life, left with a skull-shaped scar on their faces, indelibly marked by the ring on his right hand when he strikes his enemies. He means a lot to me because he epitomises the strength of humanity and justice. One of the stories on the dog is the issue where Fantomen marries his Swedish girlfriend, Ingrid. It took me some time to find this particular issue but well worth it as it holds special meaning for me. He wears a collar with the death skull on it and a leash with a lightening bolt.
'Fantomen hits as fast as lightening'.
Mr Globetrotter
As a traveller it felt necessary for me to do a suitcase dog particularly as this exhibition takes place in a hotel. The stickers are from some of the countries I have visited, lived in or have a strong connection to. Close friends have often nicknamed me the ‘Bag Lady’ and not just because of my love for handbags. I am incapable of packing light. There is never any such thing as just one bag.
Weekend bags… will they ever make them the right size?
Daladog
One of the most famous symbols in Sweden, as native to Sweden as Russian dolls are to Russia, The Dala Horse, (Dalahäst in Swedish) is one of our national symbols. Horses arrived in Sweden in BC 2000 and have always been important to us. They are seen to represent strength, courage, loyalty, wisdom & dignity which sums up for me Swedish people. Horses are also deemed to be magical and Odin himself had his eight legged Sleipner.
No matter how far from home l may be the Dalahäst has always been a companion for me on my travels. The family company Olsson owns the copyright for this symbol and have never before allowed it to appear on anything other than a horse but agreed to paint my dog in their studio in Sweden. This is the first and last time that this will ever happen, which makes this dog absolutely unique.
