Þegar ég var að byrja að vinna sem myndlistarmaður voru ekki komin gallerí í Reykjavík eins og núna tíðkast; ég sýndi fyrst í galleríum sem rekin voru af listamönnum sum þessi gallerí voru jafnvel ekki í húsnæði heldur í tösku eða kassa; mig langaði til að taka þátt í þessum sið en lángaði jafnframt að vera sá með minsta og kanski óhátíðlegasta galleríð, ég fann lítið rautt málm hjarta með kerti í þegar kertið hafði brunnið upp umbreyti ég því í gallerí, aðalmarkmið þessa var að hafa opnanir og skemmta sér í miðjum straumi listarinnar. Galleríð hefur verið rekið með lengri og lengri hléum frá mars 1980. Þetta myndband var gert vegna þáttöku okkar í “World Art Day” sem er tileinkaður listamanna reknum galleríum.
When I was begining to try working as an artist, there was not realy a commercial gallery in Reykjavík as is now; I first exhibited in galleries run by artists, some of these galleries were not even in housing but in a bag or box; I wanted to take part in this tradition in Icelandic art but also wanted to be the one with the smallest and perhaps most unpretentious gallery, I found a small red metal heart with a candle in it, when the candle had burned I turned it into a gallery, the main goal of this was to have openings and fun as sees itself in the middle of the stream of art. The gallery has been operating with longer and longer breaks since March 1980 but is active now. This video was made because of our participation in “World Art Day”which is dedicated to artist run galleries.
Lives and work as an artist in Reykjavik.
Alter ego DADILISTO
I was born in Reykjavik: May 12, 1954. Grow up Kópavogur close to Reykavik, which was mostly built by refugees, who were not allocated land in Reykjavík for political reasons. Good time for children to play in half builded houses, or go to a small shelter and listen to the communist.
When I was 12 y.o. I decided to become a painter and, as my father resisted, it would not turn back.
After I have learnd Carpentry to make my father happy, I went to The school of Arts and Crafts, and ended up learning experimental art and new art media, I could take all the risks, I had lernd very practical profession to be able to make a living. I did not get started with creating so called “New media”, but began do painting with the good old oil colours. I was a part of movement in the eighties called “New Painting”. I then studied in Amsterdam for a year, mostly of graphic printing, but that time was a great gift for me, since I started working as a professional and have done so mostly since 1983.
I’ve been very lucky! I was one of the first to do, so called “New Panting” in Iceland, this promotion drew attention and I started selling my art works and could make a living in a decent life, all the time until the lucky famous “collapse” of the banks in Ieland, but at that time people mostly have to use their money in pay-as-you-go debt created by our economic system in Iceland, probably one of the worst in the world.
After that crash, I have been doing some extra work: teaching, city walk with tourist and so on, I have alsow been having pepole visiting my studio with some home-made food. But also received a grants.gov support for big exhibition in Art museum: Kjarvalsadir in 2011. This period has been nice, always good to get new challenges especially if one manages to take advantage of them. I recently had an exhibition of Mokka Kaffi in Reykjavik hat was successful.
I have been doing Sahajayoga for many years and have volunteered to teach and introduce.
Daði Guðbjörnsson
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DADILISTO-BLOG-and-WEBSITE 