For Sweeden with the Time

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
Price range: $

Sture Johannesson

1974

23.5"x31"

Description

After the censorship of his 1968 poster _Hash Girl_s, Sture Johannesson was blacklisted from exhibiting in Swedish institutions. Cut off from the art world, he began working with computers as a way to continue his creative journey. In 1969 he contacted IBM Sweden to ask what equipment could be used to make drawings, leading to a collaboration with programmer Sten Kallin.

In 1974, they created For Sweden with the Times using an IBM 1130 computer and Calcomp plotter. The serigraph is divided into three vertical panels, each bearing a large section sign (§)—a symbol used to denote a specific part of legal text—in varying densities. A white border carries the title in Swedish, English, German, and French, followed by “Carl XVI Gustaf,” the name of the Swedish king.

Printed in the colors of the Swedish flag, the work joins a national palette with symbols of law and governance. The section sign echoes legal language, while the royal motto—adopted in 1973—situates the image within the framework of state identity. Seen within Johannesson’s broader practice, For Sweden with the Times continues his examination of state authority through image-making.