The importance of a morning dip in Sweden
In a small coastal town called Torekov in Sweden, a strange ritual occurs every morning and is performed by almost every one of its inhabitants. Every morning almost the whole town goes down to the local pier, Morganbryggan, for a morning dip in the sea.
Peggy Anderson, a Swedish-American photographer, has been photographing the ritual for almost ten years. Growing up, she spent many summers in Sweden with her grandparents and other relatives. There she often took part in the morning baptism herself.
The idea for a photography project began with Anderson’s fascination with the bathrobes worn by the people of Torekov – colorful, unique, some old enough that they looked as if they had been inherited for generations. The bathrobes told a story about the inhabitants of a Swedish small town that had a tradition for several years.
“I document a specific place and time and ritual, I create an archive for the future,” Anderson said.
The project consists of portraits, taken by Anderson with a long-format camera, of Torekov residents wrapped in their bathrobes with wet hair, water dripping from them. Anderson wants to catch swimmers naturally, spontaneously. She never retouches her pictures.
“A woman who was around my age … did not really like the picture because she thought you know, I do not look so good,” Anderson said. “And then she told me that she now has this picture hanging in her house and it’s a reminder to herself that she’s really proud of who she is. She almost feels strengthened that she has this picture of “I thought it was such good proof of the project, but I also felt it was validated for me. What I do is give something back.”
Over time, the project began to take on a life of its own as Anderson’s understanding and embrace of her Swedish roots grew. Her art depictions represent and elevate double heritage, show a deep understanding of time and how rituals exist. Anderson has photographed generations of family members at the morning baptism. Some have passed away, and the children she once photographed are older now. They also reflect and rush when the earth and its oceans heat up. Would the people of Torekov be able to take a dip in the future?
“This project is about time and this ritual goes on and on and bathrobes are passed on from generation to generation,” Anderson said. “I really get a sense of time. And not just like capturing a moment in time with a photograph, I literally see time pass and the whole repetitive act of it.”
Last week, Anderson photographed a man who was at the pier measuring material levels in the water. It was the first time she integrated someone who did not wear a bathrobe into the project. Anderson’s project continues to evolve in new directions to capture the changing times of Torekov and the world beyond.
Anderson’s exhibition, Morning dip, will be shown at the American Swedish Institute from July 21 to October 30.