Hi Sanna, how are you? What’s your week been like?

Hello. I am splendid, pretty hopped up on caffeine, listening to some weird old Indian library music I stumbled upon, which has quite a hypnotic effect, so I’m excellent. My week (what little of it I have experienced so far) has been great, thank you – Issue #4 of TOURIST magazine is out today so it has been a joyous day.

Where did it all start for you? Art-wise that is, not life-wise.

Birth, followed by my mother allowing us (4 children) to draw on the walls and ride our bikes inside; annihilating all separation between art and life.

After the wall drawings, what came first to you out of all the different mediums you use within your art?

Things that didn’t require any digital assistance. Fabric. We had a magical dress up box with a 5 meter long piece of bridal lace, I wish there was some photographic proof of the endless installations I created with it as a child, I’m pretty sure I created some of my best works as a six year old. I don’t know the specific order in which I started experimenting with various mediums, it’s been a constant flow of whatever I’ve required to express what I feel at any point in time – but photography has been a major part of it.

Would you say you enjoy working with photography most then? Or is there another one that interests you especially?

I find it hard to differ between any mediums, to me they are one and the same when combined. It’s all a form of expression or a way to waste a Sunday afternoon away; take pictures, make collages, draw, sleep, make furniture, sing, knit – these are all things I just happen to do, I don’t favour any of them more than the other.

Do you ever combine – i.e making collages of your photography? Or do you prefer using found images to construct your collages?

Yeah I do, but a lot of the time I make collages from images or material that I find to be incomplete, and most of the time it’s from some old national geographic magazine I’ve rooted out of some charity shop bin. I make collages out of anything and I draw on everything. I have no idea where the difference between illustrator or vandal lies – I wouldn’t call myself either. My favorite artist is my 5 year old niece, she has no limitations cause she hasn’t been taught them. (See picture above).

I love your photos with the detailed henna looking drawing over them, are they like a homage to facial tattoos by any chance?

They’re not an homage to anything, neither do they mean anything or hold any particular meaning. I’m particularly rubbish at making anything that holds any deeper meaning than the fact that they exist. I think most of the time the meaning is an explanation needed to defend or excuse your work. I’m such a shit “artist”. People with need to elevate their intellect can interpret them as a way of incorporating a western pale faced ideal into a Tribal tradition, but really i just drew on them cause I wanted to and that’s the result.

I saw you have a night in Manchester (Ceremony), and have recently started TOURIST magazine. Where did both of those come from and what are you aiming to do with each?

They’re both a result of my restless mind. I’m aiming to get things happening that wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for these platforms to get the people heard who would otherwise stand ignored.

Anything exciting coming in the next year?

Yes! Ceremony is about to become a regular feature of a new hush hush Mancunian venue’s repertoire and TOURIST will curate and collaborate on no less than five up and coming exhibitions as well as host various workshops, talks and events. I’m aiming to get TOURIST published in a printed format before the end of the year and several other exciting plans are in the works. I need an intern and another shipment of strong Swedish coffee sent my way.

thevagabondset.com

www.touristmagazine.co.uk

This entry was tagged as ART., collage, Photo, sanna berger, tourist magazine.