Interview: Andreas Eriksson

Andreas Eriksson: A Second Time, 2007. 130 x 100 x 100 cm. Bronze sculpture in two parts

Could you tell us about the project you have made for the Art Statements?

It started actually with the two trees standing on the floor. Originally it was one big tree, but I cut it in small pieces, and glued them together in order to construct these two new trees. But they look quite similar to the original tree, and also to each other, as you see...So it’s a kind of reconstruction of nature, you can say. Afterwards I made a bronze cast of it, because it was so fragile. So this was the beginning of the show. And then I continued this duality theme in the photos, which are very parallel to the trees: you have the duality and the cut. The cut on the photo reminded me of a fingerprint, so that was what I liked about it. The symmetrical feeling of duality is something that is very strong in this show. Actually this is very much like a small walk in the woods for me.

Is it a project about making structures in the wilderness of nature?

I don’t try to make structure, but I find the different things that interest me, and then, when I look at them later, I can see the different structures.

Andreas Erikssons show at Art Statements

You have also included two grey, and nearly monochrome, paintings?

The paintings show the reflections that occurs inside my house, when a car is passing in the night. This is how my walls look like with the shadows made by the light from the car – shadows of my windows and of myself. So it becomes an inside reflection made of something from the outside...

Can you elaborate on your nature theme – why are you occupied with it?

First of all I live in a house in the country side. So it’s my daily inspiration – if I had been living in Berlin, my work would be totally different. So that’s one of the reasons. But I’ve always been interested in nature as well, so...

Several artists are beginning to be occupied with our relationship with nature, have you any thoughts about this?

Well, speaking for myself, I don’t have a specific message in my work – I don’t work in that way. You could see the two bronze trees, the reconstruction of nature, as a political work if you wanted to, but for me it’s just a poetic idea: to split the tree into two...I wanted to see how it would look like, and that is what interests me. I don’t have any particular ideas I want to express, I just think it looks nice. Actually it is much more a personal matter for me; you see the photo of the two trees; for me it’s a picture of me and my girlfriend...The photos are taken on my daily walk in the woods, and that’s why it reflects my life. This walk has its own story to be told in nature.

Andreas Erikssons show at Art Statements

Your show is a quiet poetic piece in the midst of a spectacular art fair – are you surprised about being the winner of the Bâloise Art Price?

It has been very amusing for me to be here, because people have really seen the show. You know, everybody has been talking so long time about the city, the problems in connection with screams urban life, the structures of the city and so on... and here at the fair everybody screams, and the higher they scream, the more attention my work is getting... My vision was to make a very very quiet exhibition, and to make an exhibition that you really had to go into and look at for a long time... So it has been a big chance for me to make a show like this, here at the Art Basel fair – and then they actually saw it. So I’m really happy about that!

So you think, that the reason why you won this price, is because you offer a peaceful experience in the middle of all the noise?

Yes, I think so.

You live a rather quiet life in Sweden, so what is your reactions towards being at the Art Basel fair?

I just want to go home! - with my cheque. No, I also think it’s great to be here; I’ve loved to go around and see some really important works. But I also think it’s quite sad to see this kind of environment, where some really great master works hang really bad, and then I don’t like this attitude in the galleries.. It’s very double for me...The commercial side of art is okay and necessary, but at some point the smiles get fixed. •

Andreas Eriksson: Untitled (Two Trees), 2007. 25 x 19 cm. C-print Ed. 2		Andreas Eriksson: Untitled, 2007. 75 x 42 cm. Mixed media on canvas		Andreas Eriksson: The First Idea, 2007. 50 x 38 cm. C-print