7. Utan titel (popularly called johansson)

ARTIST: Peter Johansson (2006)
TECHNIQUE: Xxxxx

The Swedish artist Peter Johansson likes to do what is forbidden- in this case to call attention to himself via his art. He is the artist behind the work entitled Johansson, the sign placed on Mount Kvarntorp. You cannot miss this work, whether you drive past the mount or walk up the staircase, or when on top of the mount. This work was done in 2006 at which time Johansson was the most common surname in Sweden, nowadays relegated to an honourable second place. The art work can be seen as a celebration of all Swedes names Johansson, something which all Johanssons naturally should be proud and happy over. Inspiration for the sign comes from the world-known Hollywood sign placed on Mount Lee since 1923. Peter Johansson thought that Kumla´s city mount should have a sign of its own. And so it is – Sweden´s largest relic of an industrial park was signed by Johansson.

Johansson likes to include humor in his art and uses well known phenomena such as Dalecarlian wooden horses, Falun sausages or red cottages. Humor can clearly be seen in the work called Johansson, a common Swedish surname on a par with glamorous Hollywood.

Peter Johansson was born in 1964, and grew up in Sälen. He was educated at Sörängen, a folk high-school in Nässjö, at The College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Art School and the Royal College of Fine Arts in Stockholm. He was Artist in Residence at the ACME Gallery in London. His first separate show was in 1993 at the student gallery of the Royal College of Fine Arts. He is represented at the Museum of Modern Art, The Gothenburg Art Museum and he has had several international exhibits.

The Johnsson sign is 60 m long, weighs 12 ton, and has 8meter-high letters. The letters have the same size, color, typeface and number as the Hollywood sign. This provocative way of working is typical for Peter Johansson. As already said the sign might be seen as a celebration of all Johanssons, that is quite so. But it is no coincidence either that it is placed exactly here on the mount. Here the memory of the hard work of the common Swede has assumed physical form – where if not here, should the common man´s labor be celebrated?