Birth of an Idea in Whale Fjord For some reason or other it came about that I started to have these surmise about art, I mean, what sort of person exactly is it that gets the notion to pursue a career doing such a thing? My interest in art wasn’t something that came about overnight. It all began one evening some years ago in a quiet Reykjavik neighbourhood. Two young women sat at a table. One of them was myself, the other was an artist – Rakel McMahon. *** Our paths first crossed in senior secondary school. The first day of school I glanced round at the huge throng of noisy students in one of the country’s largest schools. I’ve never been especially outgoing and so my interest in my fellow students was rather limited. However in the midst of this mass of young people one girl stood out. The way she dressed conveyed the impression that here was someone who went their own way and that without having to resort to wearing loud jewelry or sport a mohawk or a tattoo. Her striking features suggested she must be foreign. And indeed it would emerge that she’s half Irish and quarter Swedish. In addition she’s more left-handed than the rest of us. *** However it wasn’t until quite sometime later that we became friends. By then Rakel was
studying art at the Icelandic Academy of Arts. As to myself, I gave art little consideration, other than a weakness for bright colours and a fascination for forms. My interest lay in books. At the time both of us lived in Norðurmyri, one of Reykjavik’s oldest neighbourhoods where some of the country’s best-known artists have lived. It was the autumn of 2007 and an economy where consumerism verging on the decadent meant that university students could regularly dine midweek on grilled lobster seasoned with garlic. Whether it was the cosy atmosphere in that old neighbourhood, the lobster dinner or something else, the outcome was that one evening I purchased my first work of art from this young artist. That was the first work that Rakel sold and so good reason to raise our glasses in celebration once a price had been agreed upon. It was at this point that my interest in art became serious. As the years went by our friendship grew. Art has also moved on since then and now Rakel’s work adorns considerably more walls than that one in a dilapidated stone house in Norðurmyri. *** The notion of us working together had been in the air for some time. Then one sunny day around the middle of last summer our two families met at Rakel and her husband´s home in Whale Fjord. The weather was exceptional, in fact it was the only sunny day
in what is now referred to in Iceland as the Great Rainy Summer. There in the midst of unspoilt nature and the laughter of children, and with a view out across the broad fjord whose name is associated with whales, our working partnership formally began. The view was amazing, the idea not at all bad and I was more than up for the project. *** Further trips to Whalefjord would follow. The conversations – usually preceded by a little white wine – frequently lasted longer than intended. Some of these conversations we’ve recorded but as yet I haven’t had the courage to listen to them. Sometimes we needed to interrupt these intense discussions so that Rakel could feed her hens and water her herbs. I on the other hand took advantage of the break to use the bathroom. *** Looking back, it’s this effortless flow to our interaction that’s the hallmark of our cooperation and friendship. Creativity demands that one has the energy and enthusiasm to put ideas into action and possesses the deep-seated longing to take on the challenges ahead. I can assure you that Rakel McMahon possesses these qualities to a far greater degree than most of us. ***
The working habits of artists must be something every art aficionado wonders about. The routine of writers I’m somewhat familiar with, though no doubt it varies considerably. I would now like to devote some attention to the creative process of the artist. In that context the focus will be on motivations, just what exactly it is that drives us forward as human beings in a complex cultural society where each day is comprised of a myriad of activities. At the same time woven together with this task will be urges, the urge to create and describe. *** The outcome of our cooperation is the exhibition “View of Motivation”, which opens this spring in Stockholm. The work is the artist´s attempt to frame men´s urges in the heat of the moment. This is McMahon´s first international solo exhibition. The exhibition also marks the beginning of my career as an curator, something that has been an amazing learning experience. But enough said, let the exhibition speak for itself!
Reykjavík, 13th of January 2014