Iceland review - 2012, Qupperneq 16

Iceland review - 2012, Qupperneq 16
14 ICELAND REVIEW Located in 101 Reykjavík, Ragnar Kjartansson’s cozy studio reflects his exceedingly charming personality; an eclectic mix of old furniture, paintings and sketches, art books, instruments, paint and brushes, which such a versatile artist might need. A painter, sculptor and videographer, classical musician and vocalist, first and foremost he defines himself as a performance artist. And as if that weren’t enough, he is a founding member of the iconic rock band Trabant. Then there’s the cardboard cutout of Marilyn in a hot pink dress that hovers over him as he reminisces about growing up within the walls of the Reykjavík City Theatre, where his parents were prominent actors, directors and playwrights. “I grew up in the theater, this romantic, exciting world brimming with creativity. That’s in fact how it all began for me,” he says, lounging on a striped old couch and chewing on a slim, brown cigar, which he says is his latest obsession. “It’s like in Bergman’s film Fanny and Alexander where the father refers to it as a little world within the world. I can totally relate to that. It really sparked the fantasy within me, intertwining it with reality in the most fascinating way. Actors in 18th century costumes sitting backstage, chatting over coffee and pastry; total reality but yet everyone pretend- ing,” he smiles. Even if only in his thirties, Ragnar has established himself internationally by way of his fascinating performance pieces, often rooted in the theater, incorporating various media such as music and acting. “Of course, that, in its essence, is the- ater. But just by labeling it visual art, all the premises change and complete freedom ensues. Theater depends on tradition whereas art doesn’t. In fact, ever since Duchamp presented his urinal in 1917, art has been based on shattering tradition. So I chose to pursue art rather than the theater thinking it would be more exciting to take my background into a different context,” explains Ragnar, who graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2001. “Oh and a certain lack of talent!” he exclaims. “An actor must have this undying confidence— and kickass talent.” Ragnar is probably best known for his participation on Iceland’s behalf at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Aged only 33, he became the youngest Icelander to have been chosen for the prestigious task. “I wouldn’t call that honor,” he mod- estly dismisses that observation. “At the end of the day, there’s no such thing. It’s all about the art.” Entitled The End, his contribution was a six-month performance piece featuring himself and a fellow artist who served as his model wearing only a Speedo. Every day for six months, Ragnar painted a new portrait of his subject and the combined result is the documentation of the performance. “The End was about creating the existence of the archetypical bohemian,” he With his captivating performance pieces, often rooted in his theatrical upbringing, visual artist Ragnar Kjartansson is making his mark on the international world of art. By Ásta andrésdóttir Portrait By PÁll stefÁnsson other Photos courtesy of ragnar Kjartansson / i8 gallery the PerFormer
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Iceland review

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