Iceland Walking
My contribution towards a book artist
project coordinated by Sarah Clark of ‘Somethink Collective’. She is based in Stirling, Scotland,
(UK).
The overall idea for this project is that contributors create representations of the “world” through places, that they know of. They may
think of a town, a hillside a riverside, city or even I suppose a country - anywhere they have spent time in. The task is to try and
represent this, in one simple book.
The book had to only be made from one A4
sheet of paper or card (or something similar) and only be folded into whatever
format one chose to create, within the limitations. One could make cuts to the A4 sheet although it had to
remain relatively whole – by which is meant that you were not to, for
example, cut it into halves or
thirds and so on.
Both sides of the sheet could be used as
well as any media.
“The place I was thinking about when I
made my A4 minibook was Iceland, which I have visited on two occasions.
I interpreted the ‘brief’ so to speak,
with considerable freedom, seeking to create a sense of Iceland – its spirit
and mythology.
I was thinking of wild horses, hill
houses and places such as the Iceberg lagoon (Lake Jokulsarlon). I remembered how wonderful it felt to be there and the great time I spent on a walk with my Icelandic artist friend, “Birna Matthiasdottir”. We spoke of many things, including one time I remember, about people who believed in fairies, who are referred to as the
"huldufolk” (hidden people)
In fact references to elf like figures have even been made to
this, in the epic Icelandic Sagas, which is considered a major item of heritage and culture by the people of Iceland.
“Iceland Walking” Media: collagraph,
inkjet, mulberry paper chine-colle, and inkjet, archival adhesive, wool.
Overall size: 29 X 21 cm
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Adespos
This work was created for a project called "Your Documents Please" 2008. The aim of this International project was for artists to create works representing/ exploring the idea of International Identification Documents. Items were to be approximately the size of conventional passport documents, 5” x 7” (13cm x 18cm), and flat enough so that they could be "easily stashed together in a suitcase for travel".
Over the period 2008 - 2010
The collected works from the project have been exhibited in Hyogo and Kanagawa in Japan. Budapest, Hungary, and Bratislava, Slovakia.
"The plain cloth cover barely disguises the silhouette of a woman - her profile has been carved into the book board underneath. I was thinking of the current Sudanese crisis. for me she represents a woman of Darfur who is 'stuck' in a refugee camp/ afraid for her life. In many senses it is easy to not even notice her. Inside various figures are represented, such as the frightened little girl who peeps out from the attic, of the text house. This "House of Letters" signifies the idea of a book or a story, which is one of the ways , that people who are 'struggling against the odds" might help themselves to keep going. Individuals who have become un- identified and 'stateless' need hope to carry them through."
Aine Scannell
Here is a link to the website that documents, very well, the entire project: http://yourdocumentsplease.com/
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Installation (collaborative) at Venice Biennial
2011, through Elysium Gallery UK
Inimois (unique miniature)
Size: 55 x 85 x 15 mm
2.25 x 3.75 x 0.50 inches
Techniques/ processes:
trace monotype, drawing, collage,
drypoint pastel drawing. + c.a.d.
printed out on on Fabriano 5, 160 gsm
paper using archival pigment inkjet.
Additionally incorporated is Fabriano
Rosaspina 220 gsm and Hahnemuhle paper 220 gsm,
silk thread, transparent tinted gauze
ribbon with bookbinders pva.
All materials archival
The subject matter of this piece, is linked to the
acquisition of knowledge –
i.e. to become illuminated. There are darker aspects involved in this process
but also lighter dimensions which the book explores. Now that the internet is
more a part, of most peoples lives - knowledge is no longer the exclusive
domain of the elite.
The word “Inimois” comes from the
‘Lingua Ignota’ of Hildegard of Bingens writings , this
was a secret language, that she developed in the 12th
century. It means human being or
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