By the means of meticulously drawn images of her body and its oddities, Josefin Lindskog not only confirms her existence, she screams it out for all to hear. Her graphite drawings range from full-body images to detail close-ups. Some works approach a status of abstraction where her skin turns into landscapes of deep crevasses and unidentified shapes. Her own body is always the starting point for Lindskog’s artistic production, but the results can vary depending on how closely she examines herself.
The subject of Lindskog’s art is the body as a site for creating identity, as well as the dichotomy of how the body is perceived by oneself and others. She views her own body with mixed feelings, a combination of pleasure and fear. For the body can perform miraculous things but it can also betray you. It can silently carry deadly diseases and it can let you down in the most crucial moments. Photographing her body and sketching these images in graphite is Lindskog’s artistic process, as much as it is a private process in which she takes control of her own body.
Lindskog maps out spaces for herself with her self-documentary process. Her body is allowed to transgress its boundaries into other spaces and rooms. It is a way for the artist to make herself heard. The humour in her images is disarming and they evoke a feeling of affinity and recognition. We as spectators are able to create meaning in her images from experiences of our own bodies, as the body is both universal and highly unique. It is simultaneously private and public, and it is for Lindskog, an endless source of inspiration.
Text by Johanna Theander
- Website
- www.josefinlindskog.se
- @josefinlindskogatwork