An Interview With Annika Berglund

Swedish photographer Annika Berglund is the gal who shot that little clusterfuck of creepy dolls for our photo issue. She’s been shooting photos for about as long as she can remember, and she still uses her very first camera ever. That’s nice. We chatted with Annika about her work and bed bugs and the Black Lips.

Vice: Tell me about this photo. A bunch of creepy dolls all in one place makes me nervous. Where’d you take it?
Annika Berglund: That was shot in London. It was in this tiny little shop next to the Old Spitalfields Market. I looked in the shop window and I got so intrigued that I just had to take some pictures of all the tacky dolls in there. I didn’t get nervous though, I just couldn’t believe how much shit they could fit in one room.

Which photo from this issue was your favourite?
Probably the one Gavin Watson took. It made me laugh!

How long have you been taking photographs?
A long time. I’ve always liked it. But actually making an effort to do something with it? Maybe six years now. It started with taking pictures of punk shows where I grew up. I wanted to document the local scene for the future, and then it just got out of hand. I’ve lived in Stockholm for four years now and I still take pictures of punk shows. Most of my pictures involve musicians, like live shows, portraits, tours… It’s pretty much the essence of my work. I actually still use my very first point and shoot, too. I like finding old cameras at flea markets. I love film.

You befriended the Black Lips while they were in Europe, right? Any good stories there?
I used to work with a magazine called Denimzine in Stockholm, and we had an annual 24-hour party cruise on the Baltic Sea with a bunch of bands. So much fun! The Black Lips played one of those cruises and that’s when we became buds. I remember my friends and I were standing on deck with Jared and there were three white trash dudes standing a few feet away who were on the cruise just to see The Misfits play. One of them placed his drink on the rail of the boat and when he looked away, Jared chucked his empty beer glass at his drink so the bottle fell overboard. When the guy turned back, he couldn’t figure out in his drunken state where the drink went. His buddy however saw what happened while he was on the phone and said to the guy on the other line, really pissed off, "Dude, I gotta hang up. In two minutes I’m gonna be in a fight!" Jared didn’t get beat up, however, he pulled the stunt: "I don’t know. I’m not from here. I’m from Georgia!" They became friends instead. I actually have a photo of Jared and that dude posing like they’re best buds!