Artist Statement:
I traveled to Iceland in June of 1999 by default. I really wanted to go to Egypt, but was nervous about going there after a couple of terrorist incidents. I figured Iceland would be a safe place to go, and it was. I did not go with any expectations; and the only preparations I had made was to read Independent People, a novel by Nobel Prize winning author, Halldór Laxness, about a shepherd living in a remote area of the countryside.
Touring Iceland turned out to be an amazing experience. I spent two weeks touring the southern coast and then flew across the desolate center of the island to visit the north. Everywhere that I went, I was in awe of the dramatic landscape. Since the terrain is treeless, its ruggedness was completely exposed and raw, not softened by vegetation. Visibility extended for miles in all directions.
The “land of fire and ice” was formed by volcanic eruptions impacted by glaciers, erosion, and extreme temperatures. The countryside reveals itself as a geological textbook of lava formations. One encounters extensive lava fields, steep cliffs, sweeping hillsides, geothermal pools, geysers, sulfur flats with bubbling mud, waves crashing against amazing basalt formations, and more. Waterfalls, miles away, are clearly visible against the dark stone of cliffs and mountains. Every where I went, I vividly felt the power of the natural forces at work.
When I returned from my trip, it took me several months to process what I had experienced. I began by making sketches based on my photographs. My focus was to capture the drama and the scale of the landscape. I then began to make monotypes*, and this led to the series, The Iceland Suite. I used only black ink because I felt that it’s starkness against the white of the paper would best convey the impact of the natural forces that shaped the countryside. I also wanted to capture the essence, the spirit, of the land so I worked spontaneously without concern for detail. In making the prints, I was faced with the challenge of condensing the landscapes into a 9” x 12” image without losing the sense of magnitude that I experienced while there.
The Iceland Suite was supported by a Faculty and Librarian Research Grant from Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA.
*Monotype: A monotype is a print on paper. The image is first created with ink on a smooth plate (plexi.) To print the image, paper is placed over the plate and plate and paper are run through an etching press where the ink is pressed against the paper. Only a single print is produced.
