The Art of Scandinavia - Sweden

Notes from BBC documentary 'The Art of Scandinavia - Part 3/3 Sweden' by Andrew Graham-Dixon.

• The Vasa is a Swedish warship representative of ambitions to build an empire. 
• It was ornate and an early 17th century symbol of royal military power, grand and autocratic. 
• It represents everything that Sweden no longer stands for. 
• The ship sank and is realistically an object of failure, but it was salvaged in 1961 and is placed in a museum at the centre of their national history. 
• The art of Sweden in the early 20th century was based on the dread and anxiety about the modern age. 
• Designers and architects chose to embrace the modern during the remainder of the century. 
• Sweden showed how a perfect world could be build. 

• The Swedish prince invited artists and academics to his inauguration at his palace which was different to a typical 'royal' occasion. 
• He was a prince but he was a bohemian. He painted and collected paintings.
• His collections included paintings of women naked in nature - a return to the ideal life of 'eden'. 
• His own paintings were based on the natural landscape. 
• 'Silence cannot conceal anything.'
• Modernism in Sweden was about the shock of the new but without the trauma. 
• Scandinavian modernism has less energy than elsewhere. 
• Scandinavians were leaders in architecture and design which led to social revolution in Sweden. 
• Craftsmanship - some furniture was too rich and magnificent and new generations did not like the idea of belongings as status symbols. This began a new chapter of Swedish design. 
• Functionalism - streamlining everyday objects could change the view of the world. 
• Striving for pure functionality and cutting out any description could lead to a new idea of beauty. 
• The beginning of a new value system. 
• 'Intellectual hygiene' was to purge your mins of desire and think of only object you actually need. 
• If people were to only buy things they consider simple, necessary and functional then then world would be a better place. 
• 'You don't sit on the sofa. The simplicity of the sofa sits within you.'
• The designs were affordable, it was modernism for the common man. 
• Social housing was small so making the most of space was important. 
• New social democrat government in (1932) was revolutionary for society. Classes will merge, everyone's basic needs will be met, building a society of collaboration and helpfulness. 

• Factories can be seen as oppressive to labouring/working classes but Swedes thought that factories could be run harmoniously. Mass production could be good for everyone. 
• Wood - an abundance in Sweden. Mass production did not have to be heavy and concrete, basing it around this sympathetic material made it more human and homely. 
• This was the birth of the 'flat pack' aesthetic.
• IKEA - Scandinavian modernism for the masses. 
• A respect for the simple Scandi design traditions.  
• Carl Larsson (watercolour painter) used bright colours in his paintings of house interiors with simple furniture. 
• Instead of being purely appreciated as art, people looked to these paintings for interior design inspiration, especially IKEA.

• If your house is your home then your body is your temple. 
• Good diet, exercise and sunshine. 

• Nordic Noir Grafitti - not like graffiti art seen in other cities. 
• This has no joy and is about modern society being seen as a 'hopeless labyrinth.' 
• It shows anguish at the modern age, similar to Munch's 'Scream'. 
• It is a battle against the failings of Swedish society, although it is hard to find these, even in the suburbs of the city.
• It is not a utopia but the equality and harmony that exists in Swedish society magnifies anyone who sits slightly above or below the average line, but these differences are little in comparison to other European countries and cities. 
• Sweden promises everyone a some beauty and some happiness.  

Summary 

I really admire how much Sweden values simplicity and functionality in design. This ethos definitely feeds in to their way of life too. The idea of 'modernism for the common man' is what has led to Sweden's equal society, and the idea that some furniture was considered too ornate and dividing is really intriguing. They wanted design to be accessible and useful to normal people, not as a status symbol to split society into those who could afford it and those who couldn't. The one thing that seems different about Sweden in comparison to the other two Scandinavian countries is the sense of rebellion that exists right now. It drives home the point that a 'perfect' society is unattainable, but I think the Scandinavian countries are a lot closer than most.