Sweden is one of the least populated countries in the world. Growing up under the serene low-light of midnight suns, twenty-seven-year-old Agnes Thor was drawn to shooting pictures as a way of understanding the phenomenal landscapes she grew up surrounded by. Whether she’s capturing dramatic valleys or constructing Ryan McGinley-esque narratives of young sprites running free, Agnes infuses her work with a Scandinavian sensibility – even when she’s embarking on adventures far from home. She now lives in New York where she continues to find unique compositions in dreamscapes of a different kind. Here, she talks us through the places that inspire her blissed-out aesthetic.
What’s Good Sweden?
by Agnes Thor
Home (Karlslund, Örebro)
“I like staying close to home and much of my personal work is shot around the house that I grew up in; a traditional nineteenth century house in the Swedish countryside. It still offers an endless source of inspiration in the shape of beautiful landscapes and light coming in through the old windows. There’s a river outside and the garden connects to fields and forests. I explore the area every time I come home and always manage to find something new to shoot.”
The Sea (Nyköping)
“My family has a house by the sea on the east coast in Sweden and it has become one of my favourite places for working on assignments. There’s a great view over the water and it offers spectacular sunsets reflecting in the sea. People always seem to relax when coming there, which is a great thing when making portraits.”
Hills (Slottsskogen, Göteborg)
“When I went to school for my BA I lived in Gothenburg on the west coast and there were all these amazing hills in the city. One of my favourite things was to go up a hill at sunset and make self-portraits, or bring a friend or two and take photos. I love high places because the light hits in a different way than on the ground.”
Lappland
“My love for heights and views makes the north of Sweden a perfect place. I’ve only been up there a few times, yet every time it feels like coming home. It’s also home of the midnight sun, and that light creates spectacular landscape shots.”
Fårö
“This is a place on my wish-list. Fårö is a small island outside of Gotland, where filmmaker Ingmar Bergman used to live and make many of his movies. I imagine the ancient landscape, and being surrounded by water, would offer amazing locations and I’m waiting for an opportunity to go and work there.”
Agnes Thor is a member of the Rekorderlig Collective.
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