And Final Iceland Days...

photo by my fellow SÍM resident artist and photographer, 

Gabrielle Motola

My last days in Iceland were difficult. As you may know, I had to leave early and it was an emotional and stressful departure. There was so much to do in a very short period of time. I had to move out of the residency, deinstall In Between, say my goodbyes, and tie-up my life in Reykjavík; it's not like I was leaving my apartment in the U.S. I was also very aware of not doing too much in that time and I really tried to do only what was necessary. It was a hard time but I was able to enjoy a few last views and had wonderful support from many dear friends.

And, I can happily say I did everything I wanted to do in those two months. I completed my black island and developed two other pieces for my upcoming solo show at Sienna Patti Contemporary. (These works are still in progress; I just wanted to get them both to a place where I understood their basic meaning and my intentions. The next move is to make them here in the U.S.) I read about Louise Bourgeois and Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval, finding so much in both artists that resonates with me. I took many walks and visited all my favorite places around the Reykavík. I went on several day-trips and revisited favorite places in nature like Þingvellir and Kleifarvatn. I spent time with friends and deepened my roots. I did leave abruptly and for an unbelievably heartbreaking reason, but I left feeling totally happy with this third Iceland experience. I also left this time feeling calm and content in a new way for I know I will return again.

Þingvellir National Park

Kleifarvatn Lake

working on my pearl piece in my SÍM studio

detail of a grave at Hóllavallagarður cemetery

my view of the sea in front of the SÍM residency

See more pictures on Flickr here and here. I just uploaded a bunch!

Thanks for reading.

February at SÍM

I'm very happy to be back at SÍM in Reykjavík. I'm in my "old" space with that spectacular view of the sea, and given the winter weather, it's even more variable than over the early summer when I was here last. I love working in this spot. I love watching the clouds roll in and listening to the waves crash against the break wall.

I'm working on two new pieces for my upcoming solo exhibition at Sienna Gallery as well as developing the overall concept for the show, writing my artist statement, planning logistics, and so on. However, I won't make either piece until I return to the U.S.; this is just the research/thinking/writing part of my process. In addition to this work, I'm also taking my long walks, working with new found objects, making small drawings with horse hair, creating more videos, and, of course, shooting many, many photographs.

image of my view when I started writing this post

desk detail

image still from a video made in Blönduós

 horse hair drawing in my sketchbook

my latest finds from a low tide walk along the sea

image of my view when I was done writing this post, 

after about 20 minutes

Thanks for reading.

The Start of Something

May 6, 5:14pm, an image from the series "The Sea for My Birthday" (work-in-progress)

Sol Lewitt, one of my favorite artists, believed the "idea behind the work supersedes the work itself." I read this a few years ago when I saw his retrospective at Mass MOCA; it got me then and has been hanging around in the back of my mind ever since. I thought about these eight words a lot while at SÍM and now I find myself holding onto them like the things I pick up off the ground while walking. It has become a precious statement to me and one that I think I understand and can't even begin to understand at the same time. I think the most significant thing I learned at SÍM was the importance of ideas and how acutely interested in them I am. I also realize my own ideas feel elusive to me, just out of reach. It feels like I'm on a path to find them but they keep changing position, making them harder to find. It's a strange and exciting place to be. I really have no idea, for lack of a better word, where I'm going right now. There are glimpses and moments, but so much remains unknown.

Here's a list of things I'm thinking about which I posted last month

 along with images of the work I made during my residency:

space

immersion

(changing) perspective

creating a feeling

giving pause

layering

silence

solitude

warmth

capturing

illuminating

elevating

light and shadow

observations

accessibility

place
subtlety

anything and everything can be a material 

an image from the series "11 Minutes"

arrangement of found objects

exhibition view, Fieldwork Presentation #1

still image from a video made at Skógafoss in south Iceland

sketch of one of my found objects

Thanks so much for following me while I was at SÍM. I look forward to sharing more with you as I continue to move forward. 

Thanks for reading.

Collected and Captured

My souvenirs are not store-bought tokens or t-shirts. Instead, they are bits and pieces of detritus or various natural objects I spy on the ground as I walk. I found many souvenirs in those three months in Iceland, the pieces becoming arrangements in my SÍM studio and an ever-evolving source of inspiration, remembrance and comfort. 

Some of my most-prized finds are three porcelain forms probably used in electronics. (top image) I was told you can find these washed-up on the beaches and was lucky to find one last year while walking in Blönduós. Then one day in May, I set out on a mission to look for them in Reykjavík. I walked along the coast in the west of the city and was very pleased to find not just one (which I would have been completely happy with), but three. The last one I found was labeled "champion," an appropriate word for how I was feeling in that moment. 

Thanks for reading.

Question and Answer

English version of the interview

I was interviewed by SÍM for their recent newsletter and it was published just days ago. I was asked about my projects and about how the residency was affecting my work:

Q: What are you working on at the SIM residency?

A: I am working on ideas…I'm reading and researching contemporary artists and various art movements to discover more about myself and the work that I make. I am also thinking and writing. I take a walk almost every day just to think and observe and I take photos as I go. Finally, I am spending time closely examining my photographs and short videos, giving them more attention than I have in the past. I think something interesting is happening with them and I am trying to pay attention.

an image from the series "11 Minutes" 

Q: Do you feel that the residency and or Iceland is affecting your work?

A: I feel that the residency and Iceland are affecting my work in a positive manner. SÍM and the surrounding landscape provide time and space and both are exactly what I need at this point in my artistic life.

a still from a video I made in Höfn, southeast Iceland

In addition to the questions and images that appear in the newsletter, I was asked a few other questions and gave SÍM a bunch of images to pick from. Here's some of what was not included, including the images I have posted now:

Q: First impression of Iceland/Reykjavík?

A: When I stepped off the plane for the first time last year, I felt simultaneously excited and at ease. It felt like I was coming home.

Q: First word you learned in Icelandic?

A. fullkomin (translation: perfect)

rope arrangement from Fieldwork Presentation #1

Q: Where‘s the energy in Iceland?

A: It's everywhere but I feel it most when standing in a moss-covered lava field or when looking at a glacier.

Icelandic version of the interview

You can read the interview and view the entire newsletter here. 

Thanks for reading.

Space for Time

For someone accustomed to working constantly and producing lots of things consistently, my deliberate choice to slow down and shift my focus at Sím was challenging. I spent three months there and in all those days I had nothing but time; time to think and process, time to read and write, time to look and rest. I remember sitting in my studio and struggling to relax into this time, though. It was hard to feel good about not making anything. I felt uncomfortable and found myself feeling guilty at the end of the day when I had nothing tangible to show for my efforts. But, I was persistent and I told myself it was ok.

When I arrived at Sím I had a typed list of goals and plans, which I promptly deleted. I tried to go about my day with as little structure as possible, finding the right times to do certain things according to what I felt like doing versus what I should be doing. I read without taking notes and I stopped reading if the topic was not interesting. I also stopped reading to go for long walks when the weather was good.

And I found a way, sometimes awkwardly, to balance my ambition with a slower-pace and to find productivity in a different way of working. I developed ideas and intentions for new work and I dove deeper into why I make art. I did end up making things including photographs, videos and even a full scale-project, but all were made with a very different intention: I made them just to make them. I realize my time at Sím, and in Iceland, was luxurious and precious, and I believe it will provide more than I can possibly imagine in the future.

The pictures posted here are just a few I took around the residency.

Thanks for reading.

Sím Progress Report: More RVK Observations

walking along the coastline

Here are more photos taken while walking around Reykjavík. Walking is one of the best ways for me to process what is happening with my work. It allows my mind to relax and wander with intention, while the added layer of taking photographs keeps me sharp and observant. 

a sponge!

Grandi (the old harbor)

on my street

in a friend's neighborhood

See the entire album on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Sím Progress Report: New Studio

I moved into a new studio at Sím for my last month. This space is on the other side of the residency building but still has a similar view. I basically kept the set up the same which made the transition easier. I'm reading some new books, too...

Thanks for reading.

Sím Progress Report: Thoughts

Over the past two months at Sím I've been writing about ideas for new sculptural work/installation and what I would like to achieve through its creation. My thoughts so far are just thoughts but they do feel solid and give me the feeling I'm on the right path. Here's a list of some words and phrases I'm focusing on and will continue to consider now that I've begun my third and final month at Sím:

space

immersion

(changing) perspective

creating a feeling

giving pause

layering

silence

solitude

warmth

capturing

illuminating

elevating

light and shadow

observations

accessibility

place
subtlety
anything and everything can be a material

Thanks for reading.

This Time It Was Pictures

I didn't blog at all last week… wow, I was busy! I went to a bunch of Reykjavík Arts Festival events, completed a project for my second resident artist show and did my usual of daily walks and reading. I'm also helping a new friend in her studio, which I will tell you about soon. But first, let me tell you about the work I showed at the resident artist exhibition last Wednesday: a series of images taken on my birthday inside the hostel where I was staying. The pictures are details of seemingly mundane, static objects and spaces using available light. It took only 11 minutes to shoot these pictures but I didn't realize that until I put together the presentation for the exhibition. I like that I took those 11 minutes on my birthday, May 11, to look closely and think creatively. It was great to show the pictures during the exhibition and to treat my photographs as art works and more than just a part of my process. I also liked how simple it was to exhibit the work: I created a slide show on iPhoto and played it on a loop on my own laptop. I found this all very refreshing and satisfying.

You can all the images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

I Showed a Video

my video at the exhibition

The Sím April residents had a group show last week and I showed a video. Along with all those thousands of photos I'm taking all the time, I also make videos, usually of light reflecting on water. I use my simple digital camera and available light. I do not use a tripod and try to be very still, holding the camera in a way that creates and captures this unusual purple streaking that can be challenging to get. The two-minute pieces are silent and appear black and white with just hints of color here and there. I play them on a loop as I try to transform the different elements into something else, almost like water, light and movement are individual materials in themselves. I've been collecting these videos for a few years now and have amassed a collection that I am just now beginning to work with.

The video I showed during the exhibition was made at Skógafoss waterfall in south Iceland. It looked beautiful projected on a wall and it was great to see it like that after only ever watching any of my videos on my laptop. I've started a Vimeo page and will add more videos over time.

at the opening

The rest of the work at the show included a mix of paintings, photographs and mixed-media works. All the residents worked together to hang the show and everyone agreed the pieces were complementary and created a collectively strong show. I want to say thanks to my fellow April residents. It was a really great month!

Annalisa Fulvi (Italy) - www.annalisafulvi.carbonmade.com

Robert Clark (England)

Yasmine Louis (Canda) - www.yasminelouis.com

Peter Pendergrass (US) - www.peterpendergrass.com

Mar Cuervo (Spain) - www.marcuervo.com

Kobie Nel (South Africa) - www.kobienel.com

Keeley Haftner (Canada) - www.keeleyhaftner.com

Breda Lynch (Ireland)

getting ready to install the work

Thanks for reading.