For the exhibition They long to be (close to you) the artist has chosen three pieces he has created in the past five years. Most of Jónsson´s artwork is inspired by and themed with the ocean. All three pieces have in common to be, in some way, defying the purpose of the driven world. They are told from the standpoint of someone who has grown to consider the nearness of the ocean of great importance – almost essential.

In the piece “I’ll then just walk into the ocean” a man is shown walking straight into the ocean and swimming towards the sunset until he sinks and disappears. “Hringsól/Wander around” shows a rather ordinary looking fishing boat that does nothing but sail around in circles on the big ocean, leaving a circular drawing on the surface. ,”Flagship” is a video based on the story of the surreal relationship an ex- fisherman has with the flagship of is former employee. The video captures the story of the artist´s hometown´s flagship, Guðbjörg, which used to be one of the biggest and most lucrative trawlers in Iceland. As a result of the implementation of a new law on fisheries, the trawler was sold away along with the fishing quotas allocated to it. When this happened the community of Ísafjörður was shattered and full of sorrow. The story of the trawler is in many ways iconic for the fishing industry in Iceland.

—————-

Gunnar Jónsson was born in 1988 in Reykjavík, Iceland, but moved to his hometown Ísafjörður shortly after. He attended Icelandic Academy of Arts from 2009 to 2012, prior to that he took a preparatory year in Reykjavík School of Visual arts. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in Iceland and abroad. Now he serves as the artistic director of Outvert Art Space in Ísafjörður. He currently lives and works in Ísafjörður, Iceland.