The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2006, Side 27

Vol. 60 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
25
natural synthesis had been created by the varied works. There is a flow of the organic from
piece to piece and space to space, which creates a genuine feel for the landscape.
I had the pleasure of focusing on the artwork of Margret Blondal, who was born in
Reykjavik, January 28th, 1970. Art has been an important part of her life since she was a young
girl. Her education in the arts began in 1986 at the Art School of Reykjavik, Iceland. She fur-
thered her training by obtaining her Bachelor's of Fine Arts at The Icelandic College of Arts
and Crafts in 1993 and then completed her Masters of Fine Arts at Mason Gross School of the
Arts, Rutgers University in 1997.
Margret has previously had the honour of showcasing her art in numerous solo and group
exhibitions around the world. She has several pieces in public collections and has won a num-
ber of awards for her work.
As an installation artist, Margret uses commonplace objects to construct dynamic work
with an emphasis on concept and space. Blondal creates interior landscapes, exposing a vari-
ety of layered meanings and interpretations for the viewer, which in a unique sense, echoes ele-
ments of Iceland's distinctive culture and embodies its current Contemporary art scene.
Her piece featured in the exhibition is titled "Foam holes, loops, rubber, ribbon leaning,
diagonal swayed cloud of particles, slightly off horizon sticks, bubbled, sprayed and blue,
2005" and takes the space of an entire room. This installation requires the viewer to step into
the space and open their eyes. One must look and think and then think again, to become inte-
grated with the work and to truly feel what is evoked by Margret's transformation of the
space.
I wish I had been able to watch Margret transform the materials and the space into the
feeling of home, security and warmth that the exhibit invokes. Margret's choice of materials,
combined with the sparse inclusion of colour adds an element of melancholy.
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