|
Born on the East Coast,
Iceland in 1961, Olafsson was a keen artist and naturalist from
his early days. Olafsson painted Icelandic wildlife and
wilderness in a representational style until his teens when he
began to interpret nature using a variety of contemporary styles
including post-impressionism and abstract expressionism. In the
early 80s, Olafsson rediscovered realism and began to develop
the style that would make him one of the foremost artists
depicting the world of nature. In the 80s and early 90s,
Olafsson's work began to receive critical acclaim and to attract
an enormous following.
Olafsson has by some been called the father of modern Icelandic
landscape and nature painting. One of the first major Icelandic
artist to concentrate exclusively on the depiction of rural
scenes, without classicizing or historical associations,
Olafsson was also the first to paint such scenes on the scale
usually reserved for recording important events in Icelandic
history. Devoting his life to painting a small portion of the
Icelandic countryside. Olafsson's interest in the effects of
light have become an inspiration to several modern painters.
He showed a strong interest in art from his childhood. He went
to Reykjavik in 1980īs to study painting at the Academy of fine
arts. There he followed the usual program of drawing from models
and plaster casts and attending anatomy classes. When he decided
to concentrate on observed nature, he was accordingly forced to
invent a new, freer manner of working that permitted him to
express the transient effects of light and shade on the
landscape. The specks and strokes of white paint that often lie
on the surface of his landscapes are one of the means by which
he tried to capture the sparkle and freshness that fascinated
him. On his own, Olafsson also learned painting technique by
studying the works of Icelandic painters like Thorlaksson and
Jonsson,
both of whom he greatly admired.
Olafsson does not limit himself to one painting method but is
continually searching for other media. The technique adopted
here is experimental: an unusual mixture mixed media, without
any drying oil, on canvas.
Determined to paint the objective facts of rural Iceland,
Olafsson, almost despite himself, infused his paintings with his
innermost feelings for the nature of Iceland.
Today, Olafsson's finished, exhibited paintings are sometimes
distinguished from his sketches or studies, which are often
preferred for their greater spontaneity. Excellent examples of
the finished works are located in many private and public
collections.
Further information’s about the artist at www.artibus.is
Photo 45, Inside the exhibition |
