Bloodline – Guðrún Tryggvadóttirs' Exhibition in Ólafsdalur by Gilsfjörður.
July 23 to August 14 2016.
During the past months and years I have been working on pieces inspired by the fourth dimension, time as it appears to me, statistics and facts in the renewal of generations and the patterns it produces.
I had the urge to look for ways to see time in a new way, connect time to my own life and so to the life of all humans. At the same time I am investigating what connects one generation to the next, the genome thinning and memories and life experiences passed on to us and that we inherit from our ancestors and possible affect it has on us today.
This work has led me to a seemingly unendless path of possiblities because the scope, in both psycholocial and material sense is obviously way above our comprehensive capabilities.
At the same time, I have been dealing with and sorting out memories I have of my ancestors and looking at the role they played in their lifetime. This rendes vous with my ancestors, especially my foremothers, constantly produces new ideas, images, symbols, colors and patterns that I find both inspiring and enriching to work with within the limits and with the possibilites of my art.
The show ‘Bloodline’ in Ólafsdalur has my studies of my bloodline of eleven direct female descent that lived in Dalir county, and the ones that moved away, to the South of Iceland, as motive. I have no conscious memory from Dalir county as my great-grandmother moved from there as a child, and so it has been an adventure to go to Dalir, visit my foremothers farmlands, let it inspire me and work with that experience, painting their portraits, near their roots, in Ólafsdalur in Dalir county.
The projects main objective was to make a connection with them, compare us and unite. Find some thread that I yearned for and I find interesting on my path of self discovery and of the nature of human life. My finding is that we are actually experiencing the same thing, generation after generation. Curiousity and joy, love and sorrow and a constant battle bearing and bringing our children to this world, looking for a sense in our short lifespan and trying to survive in the harsh conditions of our homeland. Our body is a temporary organic condition, that comes and goes and converts into a new generation that goes on to have pretty much the same experience, time and time again. The role anybody plays today is practically the same anybody will play in the future.
Life is a present that we have to give away to the next generation which is a big fortune and a reason to celebrate. Death is but a neccesary part of the workings of the clockwork of time and nothing sad about that.
The result of this journey through time could be viewed in six rooms on the second floor of the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur where I had my ancestors plus me and my daughter, confront each other and so make a quiet family reunion possible in spite us otherwise being seperated by different time zones. There conversations took place, on life itself, its purpose, spirit and matter and the joy of having been allowed to take part in life and beget children for the future.
Piece nr. 12 of 12, installation at the Bloodline exhibition.
Generations nr. 1-33.
Measured from the settlement of Iceland in 874 untill the birth of my daughter in 1988, the latest female in my Dalir bloodline, with the average of 33,33 years between generations, make up 33 generations from the settlement to date.
With the bloodsamples in the cupboard I want to point to the vast number of generations of foremothers that have possibly lived in Dalir and fought for their survival.
Piece nr. 12 of 12, installation at the Bloodline exhibition.
Generations nr. 1-33.
Measured from the settlement of Iceland in 874 untill the birth of my daughter in 1988, the latest female in my Dalir bloodline, with the average of 33,33 years between generations, make up 33 generations from the settlement to date.
With the bloodsamples in the cupboard I want to point to the vast number of generations of foremothers that have possibly lived in Dalir and fought for their survival.
Piece nr. 12 of 12, installation at the Bloodline exhibition.
Generations nr. 1-33.
Measured from the settlement of Iceland in 874 untill the birth of my daughter in 1988, the latest female in my Dalir bloodline, with the average of 33,33 years between generations, make up 33 generations from the settlement to date.
With the bloodsamples in the cupboard I want to point to the vast number of generations of foremothers that have possibly lived in Dalir and fought for their survival.
Piece nr. 12 of 12, installation at the Bloodline exhibition.
Generations nr. 1-33.
Measured from the settlement of Iceland in 874 untill the birth of my daughter in 1988, the latest female in my Dalir bloodline, with the average of 33,33 years between generations, make up 33 generations from the settlement to date.
With the bloodsamples in the cupboard I want to point to the vast number of generations of foremothers that have possibly lived in Dalir and fought for their survival.
Bloodline is the result of a journey I undertook in my mind, to overcome the limits of time, and so meet my ancestors of direct female descend. Most of them lived long before I was born so I have no memories of them but in the book of Icelanders (on islendingabok.is) information can be found on all Icelanders. Birth- and death dates, birth places and the places they lived at different times, child- births, husbands and other facts that have been kept in church books and gathered by official registrations.
Bloodline is the result of a journey I undertook in my mind, to overcome the limits of time, and so meet my ancestors of direct female descend. Most of them lived long before I was born so I have no memories of them but in the book of Icelanders (on islendingabok.is) information can be found on all Icelanders. Birth- and death dates, birth places and the places they lived at different times, child- births, husbands and other facts that have been kept in church books and gathered by official
registrations.
From these sources I have proof that my oldest foremother’s name was Ingibjörg Nikulásdóttir born in 1685, at Skarðsströnd, here nearby Ólafsdalur. She was housemaid at Kross in Skarðsströnd but moved from there to Bugðustaðir where she ran the house.
Generation after generation continued to live in Dalir county until the 19th century when my great- great grandmother Guðrún Þorleifsdóttir moved from Stróra-Vatnshorn and gave birth to my great grandmother, Ingibjörg Ásmundsdóttir, at Kross in Lundareykjadalur in Borgarfjörður.
Ingibjörg was raised in Akranes but soon moved to Reykjavík. She died at 84, when I was 10 years old and I have only vague memories of her. Six of my foremothers were registered in Dalir county and therefore it is not unlikely that their foremothers lived in the same area centuries before as well.
Measured from the settlement of Iceland in 874 untill the birth of my daughter in 1988, the latest female in my Dalir bloodline, with the average of 33,33 years between generations, make up 33 generations from the settlement to date.
With the bloodsamples in the cupboard I want to point to the vast number of generations of foremothers that have possibly lived here in the area and fought their fights to survive in the harsh Icelandic environment.
I owe my life to them and I wanted to show them respect and gratitude by giving myself fully to their memory and try to imagine their hardship and pain as well as victories and happiness, by painting them, here in the old farmschool house in Ólafsdalur where time stands still.
(Main text, under glass at the exhibition)
Piece nr. 11 of 12, painting nr. 11 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 11, Ingibjörg Nikulásdóttir, mother of 3 children, my great- great- great- great- great- great- great- grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1685 died 1739.
Piece nr. 10 of 12, painting nr. 10 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 10, Ragnhildur Rögnvaldsdóttir, mother of 5 children, my great- great- great- great- great- great- grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1726 died 1792.
Verk nr. 9 af 12, málverk nr. 9 af 11 úr Dalablóðs seríunni.
Ættleggur nr. 9, Kristín Halldórsdóttir, 12 barna móðir, langa- langa- langa- langa- langamma mín í móðurætt. Fædd 1754 dáin1820.
Íslendingabók:
Fædd 1754. Látin 19. október 1820. Húsfreyja á Kolsstöðum, Kvennabrekkusókn, Dal. 1801. „Vinnusöm og dygg; fær fínt orð“, segir í Dalamönnum.
Heimildir: Kb.Kvennabrekka.Dal., 1801, Dalamenn, Borgf.II.77, Esp.2375
Makar og börn:
Sturlaugur Atlason um 1750 - 1813. Eiginmaður. Bóndi á Kolsstöðum, Kvennabrekkusókn, Dal. 1801. Bóndi þar frá 1784 til æviloka. „Iðjusamur, frómur og skilsamur“, segir í Dalamönnum.
Jón „eldri“ Sturlaugsson 1783 - 1836
Ragnhildur Sturlaugsdóttir 1784 - 1828
Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir 1785 - 1834. Var á Kolsstöðum, Kvennabrekkusókn, Dal. 1801. Húsfreyja í Lækjarskógi.
Kristín Sturlaugsdóttir 1786 - 1832
Egill Sturlaugsson 1788 - 1843
Jón „yngri“ Sturlaugsson 1789 - 1845
Ingibjörg Sturlaugsdóttir 1790 - um 1808
Guðríður Sturlaugsdóttir 1791 - 1855
Hreggviður Sturlaugsson 1793 - 1863
Árni Sturlaugsson 1795 - 1839
Jóhannes Sturlaugsson 1798 - 1840
Guðmundur Sturlaugsson 1800 - 1877
Piece nr. 8 of 12, painting nr. 8 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 8, Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir, mother of 7 children, my great- great- great- great- grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1785 died 1834.
Piece nr. 7 of 12, painting nr. 7 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 7, Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir, mother of 2 children, my great- great- great grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1824, died 1855.
Piece nr. 6 of 12, painting nr. 6 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 6, Guðrún Þorleifsdóttir, mother of 4 children, my great- great- grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1851, died 1899.
Piece nr. 5 of 12, painting nr. 5 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 5, Ingibjörg Ásmundsdóttir, mother of 12 children, my great- grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1885, died 1969.
Piece nr. 4 of 12, painting nr. 4 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 4, Guðrún Guðmundsdóttir, mother of 4 children, my grandmother in the female bloodline. Born 1916, died 1997.
Piece nr. 3 of 12, painting nr. 3 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 3, Guðbjörg Erla Gunnarsdóttir, mother of 4 children, my mother. Born 1938.
Piece nr. 2 of 12, painting nr. 2 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 2, Guðrún Arndís Tryggvadóttir, mother of 2 children, my self. Born 1958.
Piece nr. 1 of 12, painting nr. 1 of 11 from the Bloodline serie.
Generation nr. 1, Móna Róbertsdóttir Becker, my daughter. Born 1988.
Seen into the green classroom at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 7, portrait of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir and painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir on the south wall.
Seen into the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 9, portrait of Kristín Halldórsdóttir on the south wall.
The poster for the exhibition Bloodline.
Guðrún Tryggvadóttir by two of her paintings in the green classroom at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 7, portrait of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir and painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir.
Seen into the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 10, portrait of Ragnhildur Rögnvaldsdóttir on the north wall.
In the green classroom at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir and nr. 7 of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir on the south wall.
In the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 9, portrait of Kristín Halldórsdóttir on the south wall.
Seen into the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 10, portrait of Ragnhildur Rögnvaldsdóttir on the north wall.
Guðrún Tryggvadóttir in the pink room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 6, portrait of Guðrún Þorleifsdóttir on the south wall.
The north wall of the small green room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 11, portrait of Móna Róbertsdóttir Becker.
A view into the red room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 11, portrait of Ingibjörg Nikulásdóttir on the north wall. On the opposite wall is an installation with 33 bloodsamples in wooden racks in an old cupboard.
North wall in the light blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 3, portrait of Guðbjörg Erla Gunnarsdóttir.
Guðrún by her great-grandmothers Ingibjörg Ásmundsdóttir portrait in the pink room in Ólafsdalur.
Guðrún by her great-grandmothers Ingibjörg Ásmundsdóttir portrait in the pink room in Ólafsdalur.
A young visitor looks at painting nr. 7, portrait of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir and painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir in the green classroom at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur.
Seen into the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 9, portrait of Kristín Halldórsdóttir on the south wall. Painting nr. 7, portrait of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir and painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir can be seen through the door opening to the green classroom.
Seen from the blue room into the green classroom at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 7, portrait of Ingibjörg Bjarnadóttir and painting nr. 8, portrait of Halldóra Sturlaugsdóttir on the south wall.
South wall in the pink room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 6, portrait of Guðrún Þorleifsdóttir.
South wall in the light blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 4, portrait of Guðrún Guðmundsdóttir.
South wall in the light blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 4, portrait of Guðrún Guðmundsdóttir.
In the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 9, portrait of Kristín Halldórsdóttir on the south wall.
Museum showcase with two devisions, in the blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. In it there are explanatory graphics and texts, with a century clock and lifecakes of all the women that the show is about. Also a map of birthplaces and travel routes. See Bloodline – description.
The north wall of the small green room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 11, portrait of Móna Róbertsdóttir Becker.
North wall in the pink room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 5, portrait of Ingibjörg Ásmundsdóttir.
Seen from the light blue room into the hallway and into the red room where stands an installation with 33 bloodsamples in wooden racks in an old cupboard. At the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur.
Seen into the small green room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 2, self-portrait of Guðrúnu Tryggvadóttur on the south wall. Guðrún is sitting on a bench in the room.
North wall in the light blue room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 3, portrait of Guðbjörg Erla Gunnarsdóttir.
South wall of the small green room at the exhibition Bloodline in the old agricultural school in Ólafsdalur. Painting nr. 2, Guðrún Tryggvadóttirs' self-portrait.