Jan Töve

What is it like to return to the place of one’s childhood? When one returns to the countryside, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, far from one’s own life and creative work? Jan Töve’s photographs of his home region are lyrical dabs of memory, the wide-eyed absorption of changes, a laconic stocktaking of a present-day somewhere. For a period just short of ten years (2007–16), the Swedish photographer and publicist returned time after time, at different points during the year, portrayed landscape as well as inhabitants, and discovered an individual rhythm. He was interested in how people deal with their surroundings, traditions, and the challenges posed by nature. In this series, Töve, who has produced numerous publications with photographs of nature and landscapes, found new structures and forms, for instance a recurring red that runs through the entire book—perhaps the signal of a defiant situatedness, a want-to-be-and-stay-here.