An Astounding Conversation with Shoplifter

Photo Credit: Aldís Pálsdóttir.

Shoplifter (real name Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir) is an Icelandic contemporary artist based in New York- internationally known for her artwork that incorporates synthetic and natural hair. She has been awarded the Prince Eugen Medal for artistic achievement from the King and Royal Crown of Sweden and The Nordic Award in Textiles. Her artwork has been exhibited both nationally and internationally at art galleries, museums, and other art spaces such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art in Australia, Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Iceland, The Savannah College of Art and Design, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern and many more.

UZOMAH: How did you get involved with the artist collective known as A.V.A.F. (assume vivid astro focus)? 

SHOPLIFTER:  I met Eli Sudbrack founder of a.v.a.f. around 1999 when we moved in the same downtown art scene circles, we both frequented the legendary bar Passerby adjacent to Gavin Brown Enterprise. I saw him at the same openings, bars, clubs, and dance parties. I remember us hitting it off when we ran into each other walking to a concert with Peaches at the Knitting Factory in Tribeca. We started talking and became instant friends. His humor and joyous humanity made him one of my favorite people I’ve ever met. He started inviting me to collaborate in the a.v.a.f. collective exhibitions and performances and I became friends with his crew, and Christoph Haimede-Pierson, especially when we worked with Eli on our vibrant window installation at MoMA in New York in 2008.

“Sleeping beauty”, Image by Elisabet Davidsdottir

U: What are some things that might have been holding you back artistically when you first started doing art that is not a problem now? How did you overcome them?

S: I studied painting in art school in Iceland before moving to New York to study MFA at SVA.

I was inspired by colors but the limits of the two-dimensional square were so uninspiring to me that I started experimenting more with the concept of painting, and my work became very minimal believe it or not. It became more spatial and empty, void.

It took me surprisingly long to bring my true maximalism and colorfulness into my art and what broke the spell was 340 drawings of my relatives that I created using color markers.

Finding my voice as an artist was an evolution of experiments with materials, methods, and content. After drawing the 340 portraits I realized I was mesmerized by the drawing of the hair and intrigued by our obsession and attention to our image and what a huge part our hair plays in our persona. I started using the material itself, human hair and synthetic, and the moment I started working in fibers I felt like I was home, and the colors came back into my work finally.

“Glum Blusher”, courtesy of Shoplifter

U: How would you help young artists develop and find more ways to be artistically free in their work?

S: I consider it extremely important to get comfortable being uncertain all the time. When you feel sure of your work, you might be unconsciously repeating work that inspires you and creating simply work that looks like art should look. Of course, we have to test the waters with style and methods, but your voice can only be found through experimenting and becoming aware of “what makes you tick” and what makes you forget time. “Self-editing” or overanalyzing what you are doing before you create something is a burden and blocks you from surprising yourself. Let go of figuring out why and what you are doing before you make something. I work instinctually, from my gut feeling and from the joy of making. I figure out the “why” afterward.

“White wedding”, courtesy of Shoplifter

U: How do you use vanity as a positive force artistically?

S: Vanity is a force of nature that makes the world so much more beautiful. I give my own vanity a voice through the way I dress, use makeup, and do my hair. 

If I allow myself to be flamboyant and bold in the way I live, why shouldn’t it show in my work? Human creativity and inventiveness are rooted in vanity and the desire to beautify oneself and your surroundings and I like to celebrate that. By letting go of the fear of being fancy, loud, and humorous, I found freedom in my artistic expression.

Being a teenager in the 80’s also helped. I have always found pop culture fascinating and somehow pop art is more unapologetic and whimsical. There is a big difference between taking yourself seriously versus ceremoniously. A life without vanity and humor is unthinkable and I want to show it with my work.

U: How important is it for women artists to support other women artists in the art world?

S: I think it’s very important to be supportive of each other regardless of sex, but since we are still dealing with the seemingly hard-wired attitude that women are somewhat inferior to men, it’s still an uphill battle. But as with feminism in general, I love seeing women succeed and kick ass. But it’s shocking that the business puts less value on women’s artwork than men’s in many cases.

That said, it’s still great to see the increased acceptance and focus on overall diversity in modern culture. I believe in being supportive and generous to your fellow artists and shine a light on the biased treatment of fellow women artists and stand up to it.

When it comes to traditionally considered female subjects and materials in art, I’m glad to live in times where there is increased acknowledgment of artwork made with the methods often associated with women, like textile and craft-oriented techniques. We must rid ourselves of these preconceived ideas that craft and feminine expression are inferior to male creativity. It’s so much nonsense and very deeply rooted and instilled prejudice. Women in my circles support each other and our male artists show support as well. I want to see the quality in any form or fashion and that should bring about equality for women. I happen to be from Iceland where gender equality is considered pretty good, but we still have a long way to go.

“My sister and her sock”, Image by Svavar Trausti

U: What are some of the best benefits of working with other artists?

S: When I collaborate with other artists, it starts with the admiration of each other’s work. You find kinship in approach, concept, and a strong common thread conceptually and visually.

That is a foundation to build from and working with other artists inspires you to make artwork that you would most likely not have made if it wasn’t for the context and dialogue with the other. It opens up new thought processes and gives you a new perspective on your own practice. It’s also so damn fun because I usually collaborate with my most humorous friends that I already admire as artists.

U: How has working with fashion designers and stylists opened your eye more artistically?

S: Fashion design has always had a strong presence in my life and my creative expression. It is an extension of my artwork, both in material and concept, and supports my visual and aesthetic language. I may choose not to focus entirely on being a designer myself, but I am continuously pulled towards it when commissioned for projects and collaborations. I am very drawn to creating clothing and objects and it’s always been a big part of my persona. It’s beyond inspiring to me and gives me tremendous joy to work within the context of wearable creations and functional objects versus the abstract purpose of artwork.

I’ve often figured out new techniques to make artwork because of problem-solving when working on a design. Design and fashion function differently than artwork, and there are different rules to consider.

“Litili Tittur”, Image by Jan Berg

U: In what ways has the pandemic changed how you creatively design installations and stage exhibitions?

S: I have always relied on visualizing my installations when seeing images of a space and looking into the measurements, so getting good information about each exhibition space is key. Before Covid 19 I would sometimes travel to the exhibition space to see it and the people I’m working with, especially the technicians that benefit from an early discussion about the install. Now that we want to minimize traveling it has actually come to light that traveling to view the space is not as necessary as one might have thought. A lot can be communicated perfectly through online meetings and everyone is so used to that now, not to mention how it saves time and money for everyone. By now I have created so many large-scale installations with the help of my team and local workers all over the world which gives me certain experience and confidence when planning each project.

U: Are you working on any new projects?

S: Right now I'm working on one of my biggest projects to date. Together with my business partner Lilja Baldurs we are opening an art and culture center in Iceland that will house my seminal work Chromo Sapiens, a large-scale installation commissioned by the Icelandic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2019. Chromo Sapiens will be on permanent display in one out of the two historical barracks in the outskirt of Reykjavík next to a wonderful nature park and river in Elliðaárdalur. The second barrack will serve as a cafe and lounge area for our visitors with a concept store where you'll have a selection of Shoplifter creations and curated art and design connected to the study of color.

Other projects in 2021 include my first outdoor installation, a solo exhibition on a small island in Hrútey, close to the town of Blöndós in the north of Iceland. The site-specific work will spread around the island where you'll stumble upon my work in various places as you roam around. My work will look like it's attempting to camouflage itself into the actual nature and gently inserting itself into the landscape wanting to belong, a mossy and tufty immigrant fauna made of synthetic hair, a hyper nature.

In August my team and I are installing a solo show at Nordatlantens Brygge in Copenhagen, Denmark where I'll be taking over the 3 story building with a large-scale installation that consists of multicolor lush and bulky strands of synthetic hair. The artwork is Nr. 9 in the ongoing Nervescape series.

Then I fly straight from Copenhagen to Alberta, Canada at the end of August to set up artwork as part of the show ROYGBIV. The work is a forest of hanging fuzzy multicolor "stalactites" that create a suspended multi-color forest, enveloped by walls of red felt to create otherworldly and intense visuals.

For more information about Shoptlifer’s art please visit her site.