Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.02.2012, Page 25

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 2 — 2012
Art | Photography
Frontiers of Another Nature
Celina Lunsford came to Iceland
last month for the release of the
book ‘Frontiers of Another Nature:
Pictures from Iceland’ (‘Ný nát-
túra: Myndir frá íslandi’). The book
is the latest release from Crymo-
gea, and published on the occa-
sion of the arts and culture pro-
gramme “Fabulous Iceland—Guest
of Honour of the Frankfurt book
Fair 2011”; accompanying the exhi-
bition ‘Frontiers of Another Nature
– Contemporary Photographic Art
from Iceland’ which was shown at
Fotografie Forum Frankfurt from
August 19—October 16, 2011. Ce-
lina Lunsford is the artistic director
of Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, and
photographic editor of the book.
The title of the book is borrowed from
the first photography book from Ice-
land. This is not another monograph,
rather a dialogue between contempo-
rary and historical photographs show-
ing traces of man’s interventions and
interaction with the expansive land-
scape of Iceland. The book is a selec-
tion of fifty Icelandic photographers
spanning the first 150 years of pho-
tography. The book is sequenced like
beat poetry, with the historical records
playfully juxtaposed with contemporary
photography. Topography took prece-
dence over the artist biography in the
selection process. Celina wanted con-
tent that would sustain ongoing inter-
est. Photographs were rigorously culled
from the collections of the National
Museum and the Reykjavík Museum
of Photography resulting in an amaz-
ing survey that creates a visual narra-
tive around a vast landscape, or loss
thereof.
I had the opportunity to speak with
Celina after the lecture. We both origi-
nate from similar parts of rural America
and spoke about the decline of the na-
tive landscape. Both being expatriates
for over a decade, our witness to the
rapid acceleration of this process is
not skewed by the creeping normalcy
that blinds a local populous. With each
visit to our homeland, the suburban
sprawl of ubiquitous concrete blocks
seems more epidemic, nearly beyond
the point of recognition. I ask, do you
remember back in early Hanna-Barbera
cartoons when animators repeated the
same background over and over during
a travelling scene in order to save time?
Tom chased Jerry through a house that
seemed to go on forever with the same
coffee table, vase, window, door every
three seconds. America is beginning to
look like this to me. I can no longer rely
on my vision to gauge location when
driving past Walmart, Starbucks, Mc-
Donalds, Walmart.
Why Iceland?
I visited Iceland for four days in 2006.
I briefly studied geology, and was
fascinated by the landscape. Iceland
seemed to be set back in time, and that
was a beautiful thing.
It reminds me of what we lost not so
long ago. Is there a relationship be-
tween conservationism and land-
scape photography?
It is not an old idea. Of course, Ansel
Adams made us aware of the beauty of
our surroundings, but learning to re-
spect our environment is a rather new
concept.
What does the future hold for the
next 150 years of landscape pho-
tography?
Up until now it has been a reflection
on preciousness. Perhaps landscape is
viewed in a symbolic sense, with a fo-
cus on detail in the future.
Our choice of lens will certainly be-
come more narrow as the natural
landscape diminishes.
Words
Ryan Parteka
Photo
Hvalreki