The concept behind the series of photographs is based on a well-known Scandinavian word often used to describe the negative side of small-town mentality and people's ability to supress others. Janteloven, meaning the law of Jante, is a term that originates from a novel written in 1933 by Aksel Sandemose, which exposes the destructive effects of growing up in small-town Denmark. The single word Janteloven has become a well-respected and famous term widely used in daily speech and it has even established value as a formal term in social psychology. Although set in Scandinavia in a spesific small community, Monica Takvam explores how the suppression of individual encouragement is transferable to communities all over the world. The hostile and discouraging atmosphere is commonplace in environments where uniqueness is a sin, and standing out from the crowd in any way is a disgrace.

Text as published in Portfolio Magazine, Issue 47 May 2008

Through this project I have explored the various pressures associated with these laws, and how their negative reprecussions can have severe mental and emotional impacts when placed on individuals both in rural and in larger communities.