DECODING
Familiar shapes carved into a stained surface. On the picture plane, one can discern the outlines of vases, chalices, cups and even sculptures, as well as parts of classic shapes that are not immediately recognizable to us. Perhaps we are looking at a representation of what meets the eye when we open the kitchen cabinet or when we view decorative shelves in homes of all eras. The subject matter is timeless, having been in practice since time immemorial, much like stone carvings meant to delight or document the world. Decoding is the art of converting a symbol or information to another form. Such as when letters are turned into accordant speech sounds. We then string the sounds together to form words. Sensing the world around us, we all define and interpret it differently, according to our personal experience and prior knowledge. Writing, expression, interpretation, sensing and understanding are subjects which Áslaug concerns herself with. When do we start to understand that which has seemed foreign to us and when do we start to discern something familiar in the abstract? In the works, parts of the image outlines are underscored with the linear application of paint. Symbols appear across the picture plane, perhaps prompting us to make associations with written characters in foreign languages or sign systems. Natural stones, too, are indications of age and time passing, giving a hint of colour and material expression in its protoform.
Áslaug Íris Katrín Friðjónsdóttir (b. 1981) obtained a BA degree in fine arts from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2006 and in 2009 she graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York with an MFA. Áslaug’s work has been exhibited in museums and other exhibition spaces in Europe, USA and Iceland.
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