BIOGRAPHY
While Gudmundur Thor Sigurdsson may be a fisherman by trade, he’s rightfully an artist at heart. Raised in the wind-swept environs of Iceland among hearty brethren that can trace their lineage back to thousand-year-old viking clans, Gudmundur grew up near – and, soon enough, on – the water. Indeed, like his ancestors before him who made their livelihood by sailing on longships, Gudmundur has spent much of his life on fishing vessels – eeking out a living in places that span the sun-drenched waters off Africa all the way to the frigid seas off the northeastern coast of Canada and Iceland.
The whole while, Gudmundur has gained – and continues to gain – inspiration from the awe-inspiring seascapes that seem to infinitely surround him for days, weeks, oftentimes months at a time. Simply put, Gudmundur’s paintings are bits of these naval adventures applied to canvas. Bits of his life in each stroke, or scratch, or pull of paint. And so much more.
While abstract in nature, and comprised exclusively of oil on canvas, it’s easy to see the real depths of the ocean – as well as the abstract depths of the artist’s soul – in each of Gudmundur’s works. Water is a miraculous substance, after all. Always shifting, changing, evolving into something that’s just beyond our grasp. Never stagnant. Forever moving. Like love lost and gained. Distant family growing old. Time passing by. Gudmundur’s works of art express all of these themes – seamlessly, effortlessly, and filled with an emotional charge that underlines a wisdom spanning the lineage of Gudmundur’s rich viking heritage.
And yet each piece is open to interpretation. To be sure, this is their beauty and their essence: that everyone who views Gudmundur’s works will interpret them through their own unique lens. After all, water is never still. It cannot be caught, or held, without it soon slipping from grasp. This is the beauty of the substance. It’s also the beauty of Gudmundur’s artistic endeavours.
