Lögberg-Heimskringla - 04.10.1991, Blaðsíða 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 4. október 1991
by Klrstln Stokes
Karen Johnson’s recent show “See
Life,” at the Portage and District Arts
Centre, is an exhibit of the spiritual self
discovery of the artist.
She showed pieces that span from
1988 to the present. Through her use of
pen and ink,
Johnson reveals
her found iden-
tity, the identity
she herself cre-
ated.
“The images
come from some
of the things I
see,” she said. “I
putthemtogether
withotherimages
to create some-
thing that means
something either
political or per-
sonal.”
Johnson’s
pen and inks fea-
ture people as
prime players
within images.
The effect is both
surrealistic and
scenic. She says
that the people in
thepicturesreveal
aspects of her
own personality
aswell as ofthose
who have left an impression on her.
The black and white drawings are
highly detailed and Johnson’s use of
shading creates a strong physical por-
trait of the artist and her beliefs.
“People are all expressive to me,
they affect me in every way — mostly
spiritually,” said Johnson.
Her most recent drawing entitled
“Stop the Killing”, is Johnson’s politi-
cal and personal statement about ani-
mal rights.
“It’s a reflection of Diane Fossey repre-
senting her need to protect the jungle
rather than destroy it,” Johnson ex-
plained. “It’s about political greed too.”
She says that her artistic strengths lie
in drawing and in photography, both of
which comprise the “See Life” exhibit.
Johnson also paints and sculptures, but
she says that through drawing and pho-
tography she is better able to reveal the
life that she sees around her.
The 26-year-old artist is in the proc-
ess of breaking groimd in the world of
art. She graduated from the University
of Manitoba with her BFA only two
years ago and has already won a spot in
the Nation’s Archives.
Courtesy of the Daily Graphic
t* t*
Karen Johnson is the daughter of
Maureen and Dr. Allan Michael
Johnson, originally from Langruth,
Manitoba. His parents, Margaret (nee
Forsey) and HaroldJohnson, ran a farm
in Langruthin theearlyl940’s. Harold’s
parents, Böðvar Johnson and Guðrún
(nee Tómasdóttir, Ingimundarson)
Johnson, had also lived on a farm in the
district. Böðvar’s father, Jón
Sæmundsson and Ingiborg Böðvars-
dóttir, were originally from Ámessýsla
in Iceland.
Karen Johnson ’s work can be seenat
the Gas Station Theater on Osbome
Streetin Winnipegfrom Sept. 30, until
Nov. 4, 1991.
by Stefania Morris
During my visits to Iceland, I got to
know my elderly cousin Ósk and her
husband Eiríkur. I would like to tell you
their stoiy.
Ósk walked the long corridors of a
Reykjavík hospital repayingthe hospital
for caring for her when she had come
from the country — weak and helpless.
She blessed the doctor who had written
his old friend atthe hospital and pleaded
for help for her. Her body and mind had
been taxed to exhaustion when she, just
a child, had to care for a bedridden mother
and guide a father who had always de-
pended on his strong and capable wife,
until she became paralysed by a stroke.
He then became like a rudderless vessel,
moving aimlessly in a sea of bewilder-
ment, as they tried to make a living in the
bare and unyielding land.
Ósk tried to carry out the orders of
her mother who still had the strength of
mind, though her body was powerless to
move. Ósk had to work with her father
and encourage him as they did the farm
chores. She had to be with him whether
he was feeding the animals or cutting
hay. She didn’t have the strength to wield
the scythe to cut the tufts of grass. She
also had to help to hold the lambs when
her father clipped the mark in their ears,
and all the time she had to think of her
mother and her needs in her motionless
world.
The mother had another stroke and
finally her heart gave up. After her death,
the father drifted still further into help-
lessness. Ósk could struggle no more.
She had no strength left to give to her
father or the farm. The kindly doctor
realized she needed care and complete
rest. A neighbourtook inthe father where
he died some time later.
Ósk went to the hospital and slowly
over a long period of time gained some
health. Later she began giving care to
others. One patient she helped was
Eiríkur, a man who hurt hisback at work.
In those days there was no compensa-
tion, but he was able to pay his hospital
bills by painting pictures as he lay on his
back. A friendship grew between the two.
He painted a picture of Ósk and captured
the beauty of her goodness and as he got
his health back he realized he loved her
and wanted to make her his wife. Ósk
also felt love and agreed to marry him.
When he left the hospital, he went back
to work for the company he had previ-
ously been employed by.
Anna was another patient who had
become a friend of Ósk. She had come
into the hospital with tuberculosis. She
had three little girls and had to leave
them. Ósk would bring the girls to the
door so she could see them. Anna wor-
ried so much about the girls and what
would happen to them. Osk often took
the girls to see Eiríkur, and when they got
married, it just seemed natural that they
would take the girls.
Anna was never able to come out of
the hospital, but it gave her such a feeling
of relief to know they were being cared
for by wonderful people. Ósk and Eiríkur
brought up the girls as their own, but as
long as Anna lived, they kept her part of
the girls’ lives, letting her follow their
progress in school and interests in life.
The girls received a good education and
went to other places to live, but they kept
in touch and visited often. Ósk’s health
has deteriorated, but Eiríkur devotes his
retirement years to looking after her.
When I was last in Iceland, Eiríkur
insisted that I come for dinnerand when
I left, Ósk gave me a shawl she had
knitted and Eiríkur presented me with a
picture he had painted. Their life has
often been sad, but their lovc has made it
beautiful.
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