The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2006, Síða 19

Vol. 60 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
17
would be like the dream hair of a giant.
MJ: Do you use natural or synthetic hair?
HA: You can buy long hair, but it’s really expensive. To me, the synthetic represents hair.
It is not 100% vital that it is real. But when I work on smaller scale, I like to use real hair - it
has a totally different texture - more beautiful, more emotion - it’s not robotic.
MJ: The photos of Bjork wearing your braided headdress reminded me of African braid-
ing techniques.
HA: It is very much inspired by the hairdressing in black culture. I moved to New York
and saw amazing women with elaborate braids woven into sculptures of flowing hair. It was
amazing to me. So ornamental.
MJ: How else has New York influenced you and your work?
HA: The city has been good for me in many ways because of my interest in fashion and
the concept of vanity. In New York you can go out highly decorated in the middle of the after-
noon. It’s a freedom of expression, this madness there. I’ve been there twelve years now, so I
don’t know where the Icelandic background begins and ends, and where the New York one
comes out. It is very intertwined.
MJ: Winnipeg is an island with the nearest large cities located very far away. This isola-
tion causes many of our artists to become highly individualistic. Does a similar situation exist
in Iceland?
HA: Yes. You’re in the middle of nowhere and very self-contained. You have to create
your own entertainment. One reason why I was so creative as a kid was because I was bored.
When I moved to New York that element was taken away from me - being bored. For the first
half year, I needed to absorb. Now, I almost feel afraid to take advantage of all the things
offered there -the entertainment, the shows and music. In order to find time to be by myself
and work, I have to create isolation. In my mind, there are two very different accents - Iceland
and New York: introvert and extrovert. I can only survive in New York because I have
Iceland. I can only be in Iceland because I know I have New York.
MJ: Where do you see your work going?
HA: I see myself moving away from using only hair in my work, like I’ve done for the
past few years. I have started to use other materials, for example photographs. The work still
resembles the drawing elements in
the wall pieces, but is getting more
installation oriented. I combine vari-
ous elements to create an imaginary
world the viewer steps into. I am
now working in drawing and small-
scale sculpture as well as big installa-
tions.
MJ: What would your fantasy
art piece be if time or money was not
a factor?
HA: I am currently working on
my dream piece. It involves gold in
large quantity. I want to represent
gold as fragile and vulnerable. I am
working on a small piece. My dream
would be to make a larger version.
MJ: Could you explain the shoplifter moniker used on your website?
HA: Somebody misheard my name Hrafnhildur as Shoplifter. I started doing fashion and
that seemed like a hilariously perfect clothing label. This name Hrafnhildur- in New York no
one can pronounce it. So it’s freed me from it, saying Shoplifter.
Hrafnhildur Arnardottir’s work can be viewed on her website, shoplifter.us