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Of Giants and Men – Kate Hickey
From April 16th to 30th Olle Jonsson and his Swedish giants visited the Broadway Gallery, New York. This exhibition comprised of jewellery of the giants, musical instruments and drawings of the giants themselves.
The development of these sculptures, three giants which now stand in his hometown of Alfta, came quite naturally to him and took over three years to create. He explained: "When I was a kid my father told me the story and a little while later, when I was 42 years old, I had some scrap metal in my yard which I wanted to make something special out of."
From the great oral tradition of Sweden, this story is of Bock, Önne and Starkotter, who Jonsson has brought to life as 30 foot sculptures weighing over 16 tons. Jonsson says, "the giant’s story is about a kind of competition, to see who is the best fisherman and huntsman: it is a power struggle." It seems fitting that he used steel metal scraps from local businesses to tell the story of strong giants from the local folklore.
When he read the story again as an adult, he knew "within two seconds" that he was to create these giants. "I get a good vibe from the scrap material," he says. "An old seat from a small hay-cutting machine reminds me of that farmer who used to sit on this machine steering his horse. Then that particular seat is now part of Stabeotter’s jewellery."
Each part of the giant’s belongings in the exhibition have their own separate history. Boch’s jewellery is made out of a log machine from the 70s with old-fashioned, worn-down parts. Onne’s jewels are part of the logging track-band, also from the 70s. Finally, there is a kind of anchor chain from a local factory. Looking at the shape and history behind these pieces of metal in his backyard, Jonsson immediately saw them as "beautiful and sculptural."
Jonsson’s interest in giants goes further than simple mythological stories. He believes that 30,000 years ago, when Europeans conquered Sweden, Neanderthals and other beings lived alongside man until they later vanished. His curiosity was fuelled by a visit from a Swedish priest while in New York. "He told me that in the book of Moses, chapter six and seven, there is reference to giants and men living side by side." Through Jonsson’s work he has allowed his giants of mythology to live once more among to people of Sweden.
