Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarson
It's meaningful to me because it represents being an adult, but looking at a place or discovering a place and a culture and people through childlike eyes.
Lifelong writer Erin Boggs says she never thought to publish her poetry until she first visited Iceland in 2022. With a passion for travel and appreciation for nature, Boggs says it was in this folkloric, beautiful and culture-rich country where she found incredible inspiration for her first exhibition: A Journey of Iceland – From Darkness to Light.
Boggs met local charcoal artist Einar Örn Benediktsson during her first visit to Iceland. Having felt an immediate connection with Benediktsson, Boggs eventually proposed a collaboration.
From Darkness to Light combines Boggs’ poetry, which follows an alien who is experiencing Iceland for the first time, with Benediktsson’s charcoal drawings, which function as an abstract response to the poetry.
“It’s a conversation between a local and a foreigner or an outsider who’s learning,” Boggs says. “I might make a statement in a poem, and Einar is either agreeing with me or (correcting) me.”
The exhibition is in four chapters that lead the viewer through Iceland’s history and culture.
Chapter one, The Unseen, focuses on Iceland’s mysteries, legends and stories. Next is Weather, inspired by the country’s unpredictable and ever-changing climate, as well as its unique nature. Chapter three is Landscape, which represents Boggs’ awe in the face of Iceland’s mountains, volcanoes and craters – reminiscent of a science fiction film, she says. Lastly, Culture spotlights the warmth, kindness and spirit of Icelanders and their traditions.
Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarson
“It’s (about) the human connection,” Boggs says. “It’s meaningful to me because it represents being an adult, but looking at a place or discovering a place and a culture and people through childlike eyes.”
Benediktsson’s son, Kaktus Einarsson, composed a soundscape to complete the project and set the tone of the artistic conversation between alien and native. Einarsson’s music, Boggs says, captures the message of the artwork perfectly.
Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarson
Boggs plans to make A Journey of Iceland into a series of poetry explorations focused on different countries, and she wouldn’t rule out another collaboration with Benediktsson.
“When we were well into the project and knew each other a little bit better, I asked him, ‘Why did you agree? You didn’t know me,’” Boggs says. “In true Einar fashion, he said, ‘Because it sounded like something fun to do.’”
A Journey of Iceland – From Darkness to Light is on display at the Dublin Arts Council, 7125 Riverside Dr., from March 8 through April 25. For more information or a sneak peek at Boggs’ work, visit her website at erinboggs.art.
Frances Denman is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
