The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2006, Side 23

Vol. 60 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
21
ultimately a piece is one or the other. “In my case for instance,” she explains, “my subject mat-
ter and methods come from crafts, but I place what I do firmly in the area of arts. So far no
one has said it is not art!”
The work that goes into textiles is very labour intensive and time consuming, but
Bjarnadottir says that she would not hire someone else to create the pieces. “I feel since I am
making comments about handcrafts, technique and textile tradition, something would be lost
with me not making the work myself. It would somehow be less convincing.” She adds that,
“also, this is the part of making art that I love. I really enjoy every minute my work takes to
make. I really don’t see any reason to pay anyone to do the fun part of my art.” Her porcelain
figures are the only pieces she has not made herself, and that is only because she does not have
the technical skills for that.
Grandmother