Iceland review - 2019, Page 56

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Iceland Review
worked as a postman, driving all over the city, and I
encountered houses in these colours and forms all
over Reykjavík. My favourite building is undeniably
Melabraut 30 in Seltjarnarnes. I still remember
the moment I first saw it. It was a beautiful summer
night, and I spotted the colours. The lights were
on and I noticed the signature Sigvaldi window
designs.” Sigvaldi’s designs fell out of fashion for
a while and records of the buildings he designed
are incomplete. Nowadays, Loji has taken on the
task of an investigative chronicler, painstakingly
uncovering and recording each forgotten Sigvaldi
design. He’s spent many a night searching for an
elusive house rumoured to be found in far-flung
Reyðarfjörður or Dalvík. Logi felt Instagram was
the perfect medium to showcase the fetish, as he
calls it. “There’s a certain rhythm to the houses,
how the forms intertwine with each other. They’re
such beautiful designs, and it’s this mystique about
Sigvaldi which keeps me going.”
Loji revels in bringing forth the forgotten things
of everyday life. Whether it’s the mysterious art of
Sigvaldi houses or the staid art of embroidery, he
finds beauty in mundanity.
Loji’s work can be found at the art show Varðað,
featuring artwork inspired by Skólavörðuholt hill
from four up-and-coming artists, in Ásmundarsalur
until August 11. For further inquiries, contact
Hverfisgallerí art gallery. For his documentation of
Sigvaldi Thordarson’s works, head to
www.instagram.com/lojiho.
"There’s a certain distance between our
generation and the embroidery of the past."