Corner of My Eye: Dada Peak

The poster for Dada Peak caught my eye one day as I walked along Laugevegur, the busy "main street" of Reykjavík. I saw that dramatic, sculpture object and veered off course to get a closer look. The exhibition of sculptural rings by Benas Staskauskas was opening the next day and I was excited I would be able to catch it in time.

Benas website

The show was at an Icelandic craft and design gallery called Kirsuberjatréð and it did not disappoint. The rings were displayed on shelves suspended from the ceiling at different levels and each ring was carefully placed; each had a presence all its own and together they created a collective identity. The rings were quite varied in size, color, texture and material but with a definite aesthetic style running throughout. I was impressed with the variety, details and the size of the collection, which numbered over 50 pieces.

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Suspended in a Moment

My favorite artworks are those that take me someplace else and I was fortunate to see several just like this while I was in Reykjavík. The Reykjavík Arts Festival is an annual city-wide event that includes a variety of works in both contemporary and classical genres and I went to a number of exhibitions and performances between May 22 and June 5.

Der Klang der Offenbarung des Göttlichen (translated "The Explosive Sonics of Divinity") is a theater production by Ragnar Kjartansson and Kjartan Sveinsson. The performance features hand painted sets and beautiful music, but there is no story and there are no actors. The hour-long piece includes four different vignettes such as a stormy ocean and snowy woods. I was transported in this time, everything around me slipped away and I was transfixed. The absence of story and characters allowed me to focus on the visuals and sound in new way. I found myself paying very close attention to the details of the sets, the lighting and the interaction between the music and scenery. I did not want this piece to end, and when it was over I did not feel ready to leave.

The opening event of the festival "Turiya" by Högni Egilsson was a 15-minute performance using instruments, voices and the bells of the two largest churches in the city, the Catholic Cathedral and Hallgrímskirkja. The audience gathered around Tjörnin, the city lake, and the music echoed all around as it was performed on a small bridge at the top of the water. I was moved by the music, the sound of Högni's incredible voice, the communication of the bells back and forth and the tremendous sense of happiness and community that permeated the atmosphere.

The closing performance for the festival as a piece by Ragnheiður Harpa called "Flight Trails…'and the world was sung into existence'". For this piece, the artist had two vintage airplanes create a drawing in the sky with trails of smoke as a women's chorus sang underneath. The planes flew over the city and viewers could listen to the music on the radio. Again, I was taken somewhere else. The drawing had a huge visual and physical presence given the size of the drawing tools and the immense canvas, but there was an even bigger feeling to this piece--it had a massive, majestic, otherworldly character that made my surroundings and time disappear. 

See more pictures of the wonderful art I saw in Reykjavík here.

Thanks for reading. 

Blog Tour

Solitary by Jane Wells Harrison

I was recently tagged in a blog tour by Jane Wells Harrison, a friend and colleague I know from North Carolina. Jane works with mixed-media and creates all sorts of wonderful 2D works, books, jewelry and more. I always enjoy talking with Jane and admire her use and manipulation of a variety of media. You can find her blog here and her blog tour post here.

Now it's my turn to tag the blogs I like…I enjoy reading these blogs for their excellent content and because I admire the work of each artist. I also relate to their methods and sensibilities and like being able to keep up with them from afar; all three bloggers are also friends who I don't get to see that much.

Above and Below by Marianne Dages

Marianne Dages is a printmaker and book artist and she lives in Philadelphia. Her blog includes pictures of finished work, process shots, and source images. She keeps her text brief but descriptive, and often posts beautiful poetry to accompany her images. Marianne is interested in arrangements like I am, and also spent time in Iceland at a residency, both of which draw me to her work specifically. You can find her blog here.

Unsent Letters, No. 2 by Catherine Chandler

Catherine Chandler is a metalsmith living in Portland, OR and she just graduated from Oregon College of Art and Craft. I followed her thesis progress via her blog and loved watching it develop over time. Her deeply personal work is about communication and Catherine does an wonderful job letting her readers in on her thoughts and emotions. You can find her blog here.

Brooch by Arthur Hash

Arthur Hash is a metalsmith and also uses a variety of digital fabrication techniques form waterjet cutting to CNC routing. Arthur posts lots of process images and uses them to detail how he makes his work. I really like it when artists share their process freely, and Arthur is definitely one of these people. His work is innovative and beautifully made and he shows us all the ins and outs through pictures. You can find his blog, The Art Escape Plan, here.

Thanks for reading.

Into the Middle

standing in a canyon at Þingvellir

Just five days before I flew back to the US, I drove a Ford Expedition basically into the middle of Iceland, or into the Highlands. The Highlands are volcanic dessert and cover the interior of Iceland. The landscape is vast and flat and covered with rocks of varying sizes and a thick layer of dirt and ash. There are a few oasis and the ultimate destination for this trip was one of them, Hveravellir, a geothermal nature reserve complete with steam, bubbling water, natural hot pool and lush grass. 

But, before getting there, a few stops were made including some of Iceland's "classics" like Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir. Þingvellir marks where tectonic plates of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge meet and is now one of my favorite places in Iceland.

ever-present rainbow at Gullfoss

walking in snow near Langjökull glacier

mineral deposits at Hveravellir

driving through the Highlands in the fog at 1:30am

Hvítá glacial river, 2:30am

See more pictures of this trip here and read about my other trips here and here and here. 

Thanks for reading.

New Land, Old Ice

walking on new land

At the end of May I drove south again, but this time to Vestmannaeyjar and later to Sólheimajökull. Vestmannaeyjar is an archipelago of 15 tiny islands and I spent two days on the largest one, Heimaey. In 1973 the volcano Eldfell erupted and the lava flow destroyed part of the town here but increased the size of the island by 25%. Walking on the "new" land at just 41 years old was an incredible experience.

After Vestmannaeyjar, the next stop was Sólheimajökull, a glacier tongue that extends down to the lowlands from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. I walked carefully on the ice in my hiking boots, being thoughtful with each step. I was very much aware of the power of this ancient ice and moved about in a quiet, reverent manner.

Other highlights from the trip included a canyon that looked like something out of a fairytale and a hidden waterfall...

Heimaey harbor

volcano on Heimaey

Sólheimajökull

canyon at the foot of Eyjafjöll mountain near Ásólfsskáli

Gljúfurárfoss

See more pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

No Time for Down Time

dust silhouettes on my bench

I'm back in upstate NY and already back in my studio. Everything here is just as I left it, except for a layer of dust, which is now gone. My lists and deadlines are in order, too, and I'll be spending the week getting back on track before diving into the bench.

Iceland feels so faraway and so close, my experiences like a dream and like the absolute best reality. So where do I begin? Tomorrow I'll show you…

freshly cleaned studio

a vintage postcard of Gullfoss hanging in my studio…

Gullfoss is a waterfall in Iceland I saw just a week ago

Thanks for reading.

Sjáumst

a favorite mural

Sjáumst means "see you later" in Icelandic, which is the attitude I'm trying to take in my last moments here; I fly back to the US tomorrow morning. These past three months have been incredible. I did everything I wanted to do and so much more than I ever could have imagined. Once I'm settled into my studio in Richfield Springs, I will share my thoughts. For now, here are some more pictures of Reykjavík:

dramatic sky looking out into the harbor from Harpa

hallway at my favorite pool

a house in my neighborhood

inside the dome of Perlan

Thanks for reading.