New Voices in the Nordics: Charlotte Johannesson

Charlotte, it is such a pleasure to have this conversation with you. If I may, I want to start with the colloquialism about the real world vs. the digital world. One might call this binary “two star-crossed lovers” who are competing in a zero-sum game. How did weaving help you understand and work with the early computers in the 1970s?

When I first began using the Apple computer in 1979 and later became involved with Digital Theatre [1] from 1981 to 1986, it faced resistance in the art world. In The Digital Theatre, my husband could conceive the ideas, but a programmer was needed to translate them into a language the computer could understand. This led to my involvement, although my interest was solely in images rather than computing. However, when I delved into literature on these "personal computers" such as the Apple computer and Apple II, I found myself intrigued. I realized that acquiring a personal computer would allow us to explore new potential.

I made one work where I wrote "take me to another world," because in some ways it felt like jumping into another world, where you had to operate on the computer’s terms. For me, it was quite easy to understand since I had been weaving for many years and learned how meticulous calculation is important to figure out how things work. In weaving, you work with a specific number of thread systems (warp threads), just like how early computers operated with a limited number of pixels—192 by 280 pixels, to be exact. This parallel between weaving and early digital technology was significant at the time, as it helped me understand how to create digital images. I don't think I would have started otherwise. It’s somewhat like weaving; once you start weaving, you begin to understand it.

Your works have a remarkable topical character in their ability to exhibit the setting of their own making, the parallel between weaving and early digital technology seems like a delicate dance. Could you give an example of how you work with this parallel?

It has always felt the same for me. When I weave, I create the images first. I start by drawing them on transparent graph paper in a large format, where each square corresponds to a warp thread. Then, I hang it on the loom and weave row by row.

I always have a clear vision of how I want the finished image to look, and if it’s supposed to look a certain way, it must be precise. When I first started weaving images, I had learned many weaving techniques, attended school, and invested time in the craft of weaving. In the 1960s, I was inspired by the Native American weavers from Mexico and Peru, who often used straight and square figures.

Let’s go back a bit: The introduction to the artist Hannah Ryggen has had an impact on your practice. How did you experience Ryggen’s works? What was your draw to her at a time when you were still figuring out your own visual language?

When I was at weaving school, our headmistress held a deep fascination for Ryggen’s work. She had known or met Hannah Ryggen, and one day she showed us some pictures that left me thinking, "Wow, that's what you should be making in weaving school." Because in weaving school, you learn techniques, but creativity isn’t really encouraged.

Here in Skåne, we also have a rich weaving tradition that's somewhat pixel-based, similar to what was woven in the cottages. They crafted many practical items but made them remarkably beautiful and inventive. The weavers here were highly skilled artisans. My great-grandmother, who lived in another part of Skåne, was one of these skilled weavers, and there were many like her who created beautiful pieces. While their focus was on intricate patterns and not on creating pictures per se, I still find the tradition inspiring.

To follow the ‘thread of time’, much of your work collects or documents a specific period. One reference could be your digital artworks, Faces of the 1980s, portraying pop cultural figures such as Boy George, David Bowie, and Ronald Reagan, among others. Could you talk about the motivations behind the periods of time that you choose in your work?

The works I make are very much influenced by time. Sure, they are political, but the point of departure is first and foremost the time I live in. One day I received a pop magazine that had an invitation to create an image of Boy George. A digital image. I thought to myself, ‘Okay, let’s see if that could work,’ and it turned out to be quite fun. I am also a fan of David Bowie, so I decided to also make a digital image of him. Later, during the war in Afghanistan, I saw a picture of the Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud in the newspaper and made a portrait of him as well.

You mentioned both René Magritte and Ulrike Meinhof as sources of interest and inspiration. You have one clear reference in your work Apple from 2019, in which you repurpose Magritte’s famous apple image, namely, Le Jeu De Morre, from 1966. Could you elaborate on how their work and lives influenced your artistic development?

René Magritte [2] and I share the same birthday, so I discovered his work early on and found it superb. His approach to creating images resonates deeply with me. As he famously said, "This is not an apple." Another artist who intrigued me was Reinhardt [3]; he experimented with many unconventional ideas. I took inspiration from these concepts and adapted them in my own way.

I prefer art that is easily comprehensible without anything strange or obscure. Everyone should be able to grasp the idea that ‘an apple in art is not an apple’; it points to something entirely distinct from a physical apple in your hand. Similarly, phrases like "A rose is a rose is a rose" also intrigued me because of the philosophical implications. I often incorporate the same form across different material; weaving, lace, paper graphics ect. Certain figures recur frequently, each with its own symbolic significance. Ulrike Meinhof [4] also captured my interest; she was a former journalist who had a profound impact through her writings and activism, particularly with troubled young girls. Her commitment to making a difference stood out to me.