The artworks are based on old photographs made by unknown photographers in the beginning of last century. The subject of all of them is waterfalls in Iceland. Each photographer presents the waterfalls in his own and personal way, and especially the photographs coloured by hand are a strong personal expression of how the individual experiences his subject.
In Rúrí´s presentation, she emphasizes on honouring the expression of each of the photographers, and carefully avoids tampering with their works.
Rúrí has collected old photographs of Icelandic waterfalls for a long time, but they are hard to obtain nowadays. The numbers of different photographs that still exist however do show that the photographic artists of last century were deeply concerned with nature.
Some of the waterfalls, illustrated in the artworks, have changed, or do not exist any more.
Rúri says that for her waterfalls are an expression of the passage of time.
Rúri was born in Reykjavik 1951.
Studied in Iceland and the Netherlands. Has lived and worked temporarily in the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Boznia Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Kroatia and China.
Some of the best known artworks of Ruri are the Rainbow at the Leif Eriksson Air Terminal in Keflavik, and Waterfall in Reykjavik Botanical Garden. She also makes powerful installations such as Glassrain which was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, Iceland in 2001, and Paradise? – When? That was exhibited at Reykjavik Art Museum a few years back.
She works on a conceptual bases and uses various media to express herself; mixed media, installations, performances, artist books, multi media, film, video, sound and computer engineered techniques.
Her works have been exhibited on an international basis, and she represented Iceland at the 50th Venice Biennale 2003, with the multi media installation Archive – endangered waters