Anna Jóelsdóttir
Artist Statement
I need to draw and paint simultaneously.
The drawing seeks to narrate, connect, rationalize, stretch, and make meaning. It reaches out from a nonverbal place in the head. The paint, the color give life and energy to the story as it pushes out or steps back.
There is turmoil in the world, too many dots to connect; we are many outsiders floating around lost centers. I want my work to reflect that near chaos.
Born in Iceland
Lives and works in Chicago
Education
2002 MFA. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1999 Post-Baccalaureate Certificate. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1985 M.A. Applied Research in Education, University of East Anglia, England
1978 B.Ed. University Teachers College of Iceland
Solo-exhibitions
2009 priest chews velvet haddock, STUX Gallery, NYC.
stone black heart murmur, Tarble Art Center, Eastern Illinois University
the dandelions are over, Zg Gallery, Chicago
2008 NEXT The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art. Merchandise Mark,
Chicago. Solo booth..STUX Gallery NY.
2007 LOOPTOPIA, Sticks – Installation/Performance, Macy’s storefront
window, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Invitational, curated by
Angalique Williams
2006 heima?/ home?, Zg Gallery Chicago
2006 heima?/home?ASÍ Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
2005 space/time; Stefan Stux Gallery, New York
2004 SubCity Projects, Chicago, 25 Sticks, an installation of 3D paintings
2004 42ºN/ 66ºN, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.. curator Staci Boris
2003 flutter/flökt ,Hafnarborg, Institute of Culture and Fine Arts, Iceland
2003 SIM Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland
2003 Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago
2000 Hafnarborg, Institute of Culture and Fine Arts, Iceland.
Selected Group Exhibitions 2009 Whimsical Impetus, Akureyri Art Museum, Iceland .Catalogue. 2009 Cluster F*@k. 2008 Infrastructure, Zg Gallery ,Chicgo. 2008 ASI Art Museum, Reykjavik. STRAUMAR. Spanning over 100 years in Icelandic art history, this exhibit uses work from the Museums collection to explore how time changes an approach to the same underlying themes. 2008 Quarter of a Century of Art ,Hafnarborg Institute of Culture and Fine Arts. 2007 Art Miami December 5-9th, booth # 541 With STUX Gallery, NY 2007 Small Works Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago 2006 Bridge Art Fair, Miami Fl., participating artis with Zg Gallery, Chicago 2006 (un)Natural History: 400 years of oddities, curiosities, and exaggerations in the pursuit of beauty and nature.Zg Gallery Chicago 2006 Open House Project, Evanston ,curated by Jodie Jacobi 2006 “Land Escape”, River East Art Center, Chicago curated by Joseph Tabet 2006 Six Degrees of Separation,” STUX Gallery New York, curator Joshua Altman 2006 Art Chicgo International Contemporary Art Fair. Zg Gallery,Chicago 2005 “Working Process”, Zg Gallery, Chicago 2005 Beijing Biennial. Beijing,China, catalog 2005 Invisible Worlds, Evanston Art Center, John Brunetti, curator 2005 Tvividd vidd, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík. Ransu, curator. 2004 Evanston Biennial, Monique Meloche & Dominic Molon, curators 2004 Touch, Higher Gallery, Chicago,Ed Schad, curator 2004 Collegiere, Feltre School, Chicago 2003 Tabla Rasa, Prater Rouse Gallery, Norfolk, Virginia 2003 The Open Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland 2003 Fassbender Gallery, Chicago 2002 Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, “New Talent” 2002 MFA Graduate Exhibition, School of the Art Institute of Chicago 2002 Nippon Steel/ U.S.A. Residential Award Exhibition. 2000 Chicago ART Open 2001 Hotel Show, Embassy Suites, Chicago 2001 Parson Group Award Exhibition, Partners in the Arts Project, Chicago 2000 Gerðuberg Center for Arts, Reykjavík, Iceland 1999 The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Spring exhibition 1995 West Bend Art Museum, West Bend, Wisconsin Awards 2006 The Icelandic Deptm.of Culture. National Artist Fellowship: travel grant 2005 Individual Artist Award Nominee, The Richard H. Driehouse Foundation, Chicago. 2004 American Scandinavian Foundation 2003 Myndstef, travel grant 2003 Residency Fellowship, Hafnarborg Art Museum, Iceland 2003 Residency Fellowship SÍM, Union of Icelandic Artist, Reykjavík, Iceland 2002 Honorary Mention, School of the Art Institute Graduation Fellowship 2001 Nippon Steel /USA Residential Award 2001 Teaching Assistantship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 2000 Teaching Assistantship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 2000 Scholarship from the Soroptimists of Europe 2000 Residency Fellowship at Hafnarborg Art Museum, Iceland 2000 Parson Group, Student Award 2000 Nippon Steel/USA Residential Award 1999 Bryan Lathrop Fellowship. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1984 Foreign & Commonwealth Official Scholarship & Award Scheme. Bibliography 2009 “ Jóelsdóttir´s art takes a 3D twist, Review by James Roedl, Daily Eastern Newspaper September 1, 2009. 2009 the dandelions are over; Review by Jeffrey Mcnarey in New City http://art.newcity.com/2009/08/03/review-anna-joelsdottirzg-gallery/ 2009 Art Letter; 7/10/2009 preview by Paul Klein . 2009 New American Painting, The Open Studio Press. No.83, Lynne Warren <
;/span> curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago 2009 “New Approach to Abstract Painting,” Morgunbladid March 13, 2009 P. 48; Culture Section. 2007 ArtStyle Chicago web magazine www.chicagoarts-lifestyle.com Interview and slideshow about Looptopia- installation and performance At Macy’s department store window curated by Angelique Williams Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Posted May 29. 2007 ArtStyle Chicago,web magazine , www.chicagoarts-lifestyle.com Artist’s Profile, interview by Amy Rudberg, posted May 1. 2006 “Finding Order in Chaos “ by Fred Camper, Chicago Reader, September 15, v.35,no 52, sec 2 2006 “ Anna Joelsdottir, heima/home”, by Audry Mast, Flavorpill Chicago, Issue 108, October 10. 2006 Lögberg Heimskringla, The Icelandic Community Newspaper September 15, page 1. 2006 “Gallery Beat”, Style Chicago, September 1. 2006 “ The Start of New Art” , by Joanne Hinkel, Center Stage Chicago, August 28 . 2006 “ Morgunblaðið’ (Icelandic newspaper) “Where is home”? Interview April 8, p. 30 2006 “ Morgunblaðið’ Review by Þóra Þórisdóttir April 30 .p.44 2005 LIST #3, CIA.is - Contemporay Icelandic Art . Web Magazine. 2005 “Morgunblaðið, (Icelandic newspaper)p.39 2005 NEW YORKER, Review July 4, p.21 2005 “Morgunblaðið” (Icelandic newspaper) May 21 , p.63 2005 “Morgunblaðið” (Icelandic newspaper). Review. Feb.21. p. 37 2005 Living Art Museum Reykjavík, Iceland. Exhibition Catalogue. 2005 Evanston Art Center 2004 ART PAPERS. Review by Michelle Grabner, Nov/Dec issue, p.50 2004 “Morgunblaðið.” Interview. August 13 2004 Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Summer Catalogue. 2003 “Morgunblaðið.” Review. August, 2003 2003 “Fréttablaðið” (Icelandic newspaper). August, 2003 2003 New American Painting, The Open Studio Press. No. 47, Staci Boris, curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago 2001 “Back to the Books,” American Artist. January, 2001 2000 “Morgunblaðið.” Review, March 28, 2000 2000 “Dagblaðið” (Icelandic newspaper), Review, April 10, 2000 Publications and professional activities 2009 Visiting artist lecture; Eastern Illinois University, Tarble Arts Center 2009 the dandelions are over, brochure published by Eastern Illinois University, Tarble Arts Center. 2009 Whimsical Impetus, Catalogue/book, Akureyri Art Museum,Iceland 2008 Vermont College of Fine Arts. “ Artist-Teacher”, advising in The MFA in Visual Art Program. 2008 Visiting Artist, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Class Lecture 2007 ArtStyle Chicago, web magazine, www.chicagoarts-lifestyle.com Blogs on artist and various issues 2006 School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Visiting Artist Class Lecture 2006 Chicago Art Critic Association, Lecture on AJ work by F.Camper. 2006 Landscapes Beyond Boundaries, Artist’s Talk with Molly Briggs and Martina Nehrling, Zg Gallery Chicago 2006 Resolved into Moment, Essay by Jón Proppé for ASI Art Museum brochure 2006 Artist talk, ASI Art Museum , 2005 Artist Roundtable Evanston Art Center. 2004 Feltre School, “Where do my paintings come from” Lecture 2004 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Artist Talk 1987 I Have Feelings. Series of photographs and a Teacher’s Guide. National Center for Educational Materials of Iceland. Public Collections Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland ASI Art Museum Reykjavik, Iceland Hafnarborg Institute of Culture and Fine Arts, Hafnarfjörður Iceland