Coming from a mixed-media artistic approach, my body of works range greatly in scope and type, but they all seem to be connected by some sort of human-environmental contextual awareness, if not some sort of strange and solemn humor.
Iceland-bound, I've deliberately kept myself free from much artistic reservation, but to simply embrace and adapt to the dynamic landscapes of contrasting properties.
The works included in this exhibition come from both studio-based practices as well as ephemeral fieldworks carried out and documented directly from various outdoor locations. Though they are different in their approach, they all exhibit a common interest in poetically versing out the commonality shared between ready-made found objects and natural objects, flammability and incombustibility or a blurring between the trace and the carnate.
Julie Livsey
These works are made in response to the environment in which, and from which, they are created: Olafsfjordur in Iceland
Although the images are static, in reality, each of the works moves in accordance to their construction materials and the site in which they 'perform'. They are made from a range of found materials including sheep fleece, grass stalks, snow, heather-sticks and cotton grass seed-heads. Some float on water, some are blown by the wind. Others totter and tremble on uneven 'legs'. Delicate and fragile balances are carefully constructed to be toppled by a breeze, by the changing weight of melting snow, or to be teased apart by the movement of water.
These ephemeral works, presented in the pristine landscape of Iceland, speak of the vulnerability of the natural world to the perpetual demands of human activity.
Many thanks to Alice and Siggi and to all the other artists who shared this residency and helped to make it such fun.
Although I was born in Australia my father was Norwegian and during my time here in Northern Iceland I have felt a strong cultural connection to this part of the world.
It is my cultural connection and the fact that the weather is constantly changing that has attracted me to Iceland. My artwork focuses on the sky which here in Iceland is in a constant state of flux. With my work, it is my intention to draw the viewer’s attention to the natural world and the unstable state of the atmosphere that surrounds us. I am interested in conveying the importance of this connection in a poetic way, using clouds to symbolize feelings of loss, absence and change.
This month at Listhus I have tried to see and experience as much as possible, undertaking hikes and collecting lots of visual reference material in the form of photographs and watercolour studies. From my photographic references I have made still photographs and video projections and from the watercolour studies I have made artist books.
I will be sad to leave Olafsfjordur and wish to thank Alice and Siggy and the other artists: David Lin, Julie Livsey, Patti Mclean, Laura Marconi and the Rebecca Wong Hong Kong Dance Group for making my time here so wonderful.
This is my second time in Iceland. This island so full of mysteries, and ferocious beauty
touches me at a profound level. I'm so humble and thankful to be here, trying to absorb
as much of the land, the rich culture, the people. From the moment I landed I was so mesmerized by the mountains and the different patterns that the snow was producing.
So I started a series of black and white mountain range oil paintings, and I imagined
some of the mythological figures within the snow. Another group of work is about the
"veins" of Iceland: the rivers seen from above. So much more to do, not enough time!
Ég mun Vera bak.Tak fyrir.
The five images projected are selected studies, the beginning of an exploration to be continued back in the studio in SW Scotland.
The small watercolours are painted on postcards, and are the results of seeking a painterly ‘language’ of colour, line, form and composition, through which to respond to the place, the people and how it feels to be here.
Ólafsfjörður and the mountains offer an almost overwhelming amount of information, but a more specific breakthrough arrived in the little museum at Hólar, when I photographed part of a wall that was being renovated. The colours offer an Icelandic palette, and the forms seem appropriate to the density and proportions of the landscape.
Many thanks to Alice and Siggi for organising the residency (and for the constant supply of delicious arctic char) and to the other artists – Julie, Kari, Laura, David, John and the Rebecca Wong Dance Group - for making the stay so creative and enjoyable.
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