New Swedish Books, Spring 2018 1
77 Spring 2018 “ the drawings appear bitterly hum
orous, full of dark relationship comedy and sharply worded blame, but as a whole they’re nothing to laugh about.” Anna Åhlund (b. 1977) The Tongue of Love Publisher Kartago www.kartago.se Rights Kartago thomas.olsson@kartago.se Works Fortfarande konstig stämning men ingen verkar bry sig 2009 En snippa om dagen 2015 The Tongue of Love In a collection of stand alone single image comedy strips the artist and illustrator Anna Åhlund charts a dysfunctional same-sex couple heading for an inevitable breakup. The relationship is remarkably unequal despite the women being more or less each other’s mirror image. Åhlund sketches them movingly and vulnerably nude, in a raw, naïve style: their chubby bodies flabby, their breasts hanging, and with large caesarean scars across their bellies. Yet one of them is as submissive as the other one is dominant. In frame after frame the woman craving affection yields to her other half’s adultery, callous cruelty and psychological violence. Perceived one by one the drawings appear bitterly humorous, full of dark relationship comedy and sharply worded blame, but as a whole they’re nothing to laugh about. Instead, what’s revealed is a tragic portrayal of the psychological suffering that a person endures in the name of love. With The Tongue of Love Åhlund composes a defence for the right to stand up for yourself and your body against those who want to hold you down. That it's simultaneously enjoyable to read is a welcome bonus. Photo: Gabriel Liljevall