Christer Themptander has since the early 70’s made mass distributed collages and montages focusing on injustices, potentates like Berlusconi, Stalin and Bush but also absurdities in life. He has published 18 books in Sweden and is represented in some international surveys, like Photomontage: a political weapon by David Evans and Sylvia Gohl (Gordon Fraser 1986). For an international audience Subversiv is Christer Themptander’s first monograph.
“Christer Themptander’s comments to 30 years of mendacious politics and decay of humanism in the West sometimes suddenly open our eyes; and in more obvious cases as well, they strengthen the will to resistance that most of us harbour or wish that we possessed. Most of the time, however, we can only channel it in the canteen at work or at the local tavern, among true friends or total strangers, before the TV, maybe in bed with our beloved, or in those blessed moments when our children’s laughter hits the spot before we do so ourselves.
One thing we could hope for is that the generation now finishing school, and the generations thereafter, will have access to the kind of sad, angry but also hilarious and clear-sighted perspicacity whereby Christer Themptander, in a childishly simple but penetrating way, enlightens our brains and hearts if we have the courage and the inclination to think matters over. Or just fortifies our lungs and libidos with a giggle or three, when we perceive how the power addicts suddenly stand there without their emperor’s clothes.” / Einar Heckscher
App. 270 collages and montages in b/w and color • Foreword by Jesper Weithz • Afterword by Gösta Flemming and Einar Heckscher • Translation to English: Einar Heckscher • Editor: Gösta Flemming • Picture Editor: Lars Liljendahl • Design: Lars Liljendahl, Kerstin Bernander • Softcover with flaps • 150 x 195 mm • 388 pages • Swedish/English • 2004
Diploma in Swedish Book Art 2004 at the National Library of Sweden.
