Time and Time Again is an exhibition focusing on the various manifestations of time in the works of three international contemporary artists, Arna Óttarsdóttir, Amy Brener and Leslie Roberts. In the exhibition, time is explored from a wide angle, from philosophical speculations about the concept itself and the nature of time, to the personal interpretation of the present time that characterises the works and working methods of all three artists.
Arna Óttarsdóttir’s works are based on drawings and writings from her sketchbook, which she translates into intricate and complex tapestry weavings. Quick sketches, shopping lists, or even scraps that seem strangely careless or random can often be found. The artist translates the personal and instantaneous into the slow medium of weaving, where each scribble is executed in a precise and balanced manner. The works manifest an interesting meeting of handmade and digital processes, from fast drawings to Photoshop manipulations and, lastly, to the slow process of tapestry weaving by hand.
In Leslie Roberts’ paintings, found words from her everyday surroundings are transliterated into a complex system of geometric shapes and colours. Traces or moments from our time are collected by the artist, who presents them in a compound way that is undeniably reminiscent of contemporary computer coding. The works are extremely delicate, yet free from unnecessary perfectionism, as the artist allows mistakes to stand without erasing or hiding them. In this way, viewers can sense the artist’s hand as well as the time she has spent creating the works.
Amy Brener makes otherworldly sculptures that are embedded with an array of familiar consumer goods. Each object speaks its own story, carrying with it a reference to everyday life or an unknown history. Disparate things merge together into unexpected combinations that reflect our age of consumerism, overproduction and disposability. Her work can be seen as an attempt to freeze time, as she collects traces of our era and casts them into solid form, as though to be admired by future humans.
Ideas about time are woven into the works of all three artists in different ways. They carry with them references to different kinds of time. The craftsmanship that can be seen in the work of all three artists shows a longing for slowness and reflection in contrast to the hastiness of our time. Their works could even be read as an attempt to stop time or to step out of the present and into the timelessness of the artwork.
Curated by Ingunn Fjóla Ingþórsdóttir.
The exhibition is supported by the Icelandic Visual Arts Fund.