Shane Strachan – författare

After winning the Eurovision song contest held in Brighton in 1974, ABBA became a symbol of Sweden across Europe. Young, blond and reserved they became stars overnight. The photographer Lisa Brunzell, a Swede living in Wales, found that their songs have been kept alive through the large number of tribute bands dedicated to the legendary pop band. In this work she explores how the tribute artists are making their own individual interpretation of the original ABBAs and in the pictures representing both the original members of the band and their own individuality. Lingering between performance and reality the artists are not fully themselves but not fully the character, or maybe both at the same time.  The design is based on the tension between the glamour and mundanity. Short texts inspired by the famous lyrics highlights the dreams and fears behind the music and reveals the inner thoughts behind life as an artist. The format is inspired by classic vinyl records, bringing a bit of performance into how you read the book.