A little over a year ago, I was visiting Stockholm and had the chance to spend an afternoon and evening with Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg (aka the Hilton Brothers). For those not familiar with this dynamic duo, Christopher Makosis, an internationally renowned photographer and visual artist, not only collaborated with Andy Warhol but also showed Warhol how to use his first camera and introduced him to the work of both Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Meanwhile, Paul Solberg, Makos’ creative partner, is an author and independent filmmaker who worked with Stephen Kinsella on the American indie classic Double Parked.So to say I was in good company that day would be a classic understatement. As it happens, I was there to research a feature on Stockholm fashion and design, and the Hilton Brothers were there shooting images for a new book inspired by Stieg Larsson’s magnificently popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novels. At some point our itineraries converged, and I ended up in cahoots with Makos and Solberg on a madcap adventure through Stockholm for a few of the most interesting and unexpected hours of that visit. In retrospect, I can say that it was a moment in which my job seemed infinitely easier than theirs. While they ran around setting up one stunning photograph after another, I sat quietly with my tablet and my smartphone documenting all that I needed for my story. I could always go back and research what I needed for my feature. I could send an email or revisit a place online and still get the words right to convey what I needed to convey, but they had no such luxury. Their work was in the moment. Each shot had to be the shot. It was all quite fascinating and humbling to behold.
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The stunning new coffee table book from Glitterati Inc, Tattoos Hornets Fire, The Millennium Swedencaptures the Sweden that Stieg Larrson wrote about with such vivid detail in his books. From the people and communities to the culture, lifestyle and countryside of Sweden, Tattoos Hornets Fire, The Millennium Sweden offers a more authentic experience of Sweden than any travel guide could ever hope to deliver. For those who don’t know Sweden, this book will be a sweepingly beautiful introduction. And for those like myself, who already know and love Sweden, it is like taking a trip back and curling up in your favorite corners of a destination that grows more interesting with the passage of time.