Michaels+EE

​Here is my original proposal. The direction in the which I want to bring my EE has now changed alot, but I though I would put it up just incase:

//Dear Mr. Morgan,// //After quite a bit of research I have narrowed down the field I was looking through to find an essay title. When you said that we should try and write about something relating to an exhibition we had recently seen I mentally scanned through the exhibitions I had visited recently and tried to decide which interested me the most and which I also enjoyed the most. The answer to this question took quite a bit of thought to find, considering I was taking into account all the galleries I have visited from the start of the school year, including everything we saw in Barcelona, but finally I arrived to the conclusion that the exhibition I was most intrigued by I had seen in Reykjavik in February. The exhibition was called Watery Hues: A Survey of Icelandic Watercolours, and exhibit which explores the many changes that have been taking place in Icelandic art across the past century, using over 140 different watercolors from over 60 different artists to show the journey that Icelandic art has been through to arrive at where it is at currently. Here is the websites summary of the exhibition://

//WATERY HUES: A survey of watercolours in Icelandic art, 1880–2010// //The exhibition Watery Hues, featuring more than 140 works by 60 artists, is the first attempt to document the role that watercolours have played in Icelandic art. The objective for the exhibition is to display the characteristics of the medium as well as to explore its diversity and the way it has developed over time. Particular characteristics of watercolours include transparency and delicacy, as well as an intimate connection with paper. They require quick and spontaneous application and, if everything goes well, the outcome is both original and lively. The exhibition contains works by many of the artists who have shaped the history of Icelandic art but also works by lesser-known artists who have used the medium with distinction. Watercolours have commonly been considered a medium primarily for sketching, preparatory work or documentation but, as this exhibition reveals, they serve a much wider role in Icelandic art.// //We now realize that watercolours are among the most impressive works produced by Icelandic artists not only Ásgrímur Jónsson, but also Finnur Jónsson, Gunnlaugur Scheving, Svavar Guðnason and a host of others. Watercolours also play an important role in the work of the younger generations of Icelandic artists, who use the attributes of this ancient and ever vital medium to the utmost.//

//The element which most struck me from this exhibition was how accurately the watercolors on display managed to show the gradual development that Icelandic art has underwent over the years and the effect that globalization has had on the art of the small island. I am looking to go to Iceland to study art after high school thus making this and extremely useful area to wright about for my extended essay. A book has been published on this exhibition written by its curator, Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson, who is the most knowledgeable and prolific writer about Icelandic art to date, meaning I have a reliable and specific resource for information on the matter. This leads me to the track I have been thinking of basing my extended essay on---which is obviously not final--- this track being: Explore how globalization has affected Icelandic watercolor art. (Or art in general). Using the book on Watery Hues (and other books on the maturation of Icelandic art), along with other online resources, and maybe an interview with the director of the Reykjavik Academy of Arts, who is a friend of my aunts, I am confident I could right an interesting and detailed extended essay which would put me in a favored position for my future University plans. This track can obviously be narrowed down to discuss how globalization has affected an individual artist or how globalization as affected any individual element of Icelandic art. I will also be visiting Iceland in June where I will have the opportunity to buy more books, visit more museums, and interview other people with insight on my theme.// //I will try and speak with you tomorrow to refine my track but I hope you can see the potential in this title for know.// //Sincerely,// //Mike//

My new title is (not final): Explore the impact which globalization has had on Icelandic Art in the past 120 years. Looking specifically at the work of 3 artists who's works embody this theme. At this point im trying to find the 3 artists. -This title is probably going to change significantly when I go to Iceland in June and get my hands on some books/ go visit more galleries/ hopefully intervew some people. -A way I might change my title is to tie it in more closely with Icelands participants to the Venice Biennale. This way I have a more accurate record of the different ways Iceland has chosen to portray its Art to the world through specific artists. I also went to the last Biennale, so I can write about it with quite a bit of detail. This also may come in handy because one of the three artists I'm thinking of writing about was the artist who last represented his work in the Biennale, Ragnar Kjartansson. I saw his works from the Biennale when I went to Iceland in February and really loved it.


 * __-Artist 1: Ragnar Kjartansson.__**

Short description: __Ragnar Kjartansson__ Ragnar Kjartansson (b. 1976) has built his career upon bold and spirited experiments across media. Working simultaneously as an artist and a musician, Ragnar considers himself primarily a performance artist influenced by theater. His electronic group, Trabant, plays on the boundaries of rock and roll and performance art; Ragnar also creates videos, paintings and installations that are often linked with his performances. His pieces are characterized by the interplay between contradicting feelings—sorrow and happiness, horror and beauty, drama and humor—and frequently rely on repetition or “the loop.” Ragnar, who studied at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, is the youngest artist to represent Iceland in the Venice Biennale (2009).

Here are links to some articles about him. There is also a book out on his most recent work, particularly his Biennale exposition, entitled "The end". Link 1: [] Link2: [] Link3: [] Link4: [] Link to book:[] (page 10,11)

[|Main page with excelent index of Modern and Classical Icelandic artists. Also particular section to Venice Biennale participants.]

Another interesting artist which I want to look at in my essay--(possibly one of the three)-- is Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir.

Here are some links to her work. She makes alot of video's, even for some of my favorite bands, where she explores integrating ccollage techniques with video technology. - www.myspace.com/iiiinga - [] - []-

FINALLY THE LONG AWAITED UPDATE!

After scouring around Reykjavik looking through museums and collecting interviews, I have finally decided on a final title and have collected as much research as I could possibly desire.

After interviewing one of the curators of the Reykjavik Museum of Modern art, it was clear to me that my title was much to broad, and that if I was still going to write my essay on Icelandic national Identity through art, I needed to find an artist, exposition, or event which would epitomize this theme. I decided that focusing on Iceland's participants in the biennale in recent times would be a wise decision, seeing as I saw the latest one had had the possibility to interview the exposition designer which set up the Icelandic Pavilion in the 2008 venice biennale. In 2008, Steingrimur Eyfjörd was appointed to represent Iceland in the biennale. He chose to focus his exposition on what it meant to be Icelandic, focusing on key elements of icelandic history, folklore, and society in his art. His intension was to demonstrate Iceland to an international audience in as thematically raw a way as possible, showing Iceland in all its absurdity but also its beauty. I have the book which was published at the time of the biennale for his specific exposition, as well as all the books relative to the last four Icelandic participations to the biennale. I also have two interviews and contacts to different people in Iceland who I can e-mail if I need additional information.  This leads me to my final(ish) title.  It is much more focused, but still leaves some room for exploration.

="How has Steingrimur Eyfjörd's participation in the Venice Biennale successfully defined his National Identity"=

The wording is a bit awkward but that is the direction for now. Icelandic identity through art in biennale specifically Steingrimur Eyfjörd. Too specific? Too complex? Any suggestions for rewording the title? Please comment and criticize, Mike

 Hi Mike

 I //think// that I understand your revised question - but do you have access to enough information for such a specific focus? The whole idea of how a country seeks to project its desired national identity through its choice of Biennale artists is an interesting one. I guess that it's not quite at the level of Nazi olympics of the 1930s. I would love to know more about the selection procedure - including for Iceland.

 Mr M

Hello, I am in possession of the book written about Steingrimur Eyfjörd's biennale exhibition, which has copious information about the artist and the exhibition. When I was in Iceland I interviewed Ulfur Grönvold, who travelled to Venice with Steingrimur, and designed the layout of the exhibition. I have Ulfur's e-mail and can try to get back in touch with him with further questions, so yes i believe I have enough information to wright the essay. I also have other books and articles with information surrounding Icelands previous participants, so I can broaden the title a bit if I want to. Pretty much i have the contacts and books to allow the title to be rather flexible as long as its discussing Iceland's recent participations to the biennale. Hope that helps. Mike

