Photography

Icelandic photography spans a broad spectrum, as witness for instance Magnús Ólafsson (1862-1937), photographer of daily life, technical advances and social change in the eventful years of the early 20th century; portrait photographer Sigríður Zoëga (1889-1968); Vigfús Sigurgeirsson (1900-1984), known principally for his landscape photography, and many more.

In the present day, photo-journalist Ragnar Axelsson or RAX (b. 1958) has received countless awards over the years, working as a photographer for Icelandic daily Morgunblaðið as well as such international publications as National Geographic, Time, Life, Stern and Le Figaro.

Guðmundur Ingólfsson (b.1946), on the other hand, is a representative of the New Topographics approach to documentary photography.

Other Icelandic photographers who are well known for their landscape photography and books include e.g. Páll Stefánsson, Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson and Guðmundur Páll Ólafsson.

Haraldur Jónsson (b. 1961), Hrafnkell Sigurðsson (b. 1963), Bjargey Ólafsdóttir (b. 1972) and Katrín Elvarsdóttir (b. 1964), along with the Icelandic Love Corporation, Rúrí (b. 1951) and Gabríela Friðriksdóttir (b. 1971) work with photography in their art. In the past artists in the SÚM group, such as Sigurður Guðmundsson, had success with photographic art.

Photography exhibition in Frankfurt

Forum Fotografie International in Frankfurt is making preparations for an exhibition to open in 2011: “From Icelandic Photography to Photography in Icelandic Art.” The exhibition will be curated by Dr. Christiane Stahl in collaboration with the museum's director Celina Lunsford, Inga Lára Baldvinsdóttir of the National Museum of Iceland Collection of Photographs and Prints, and María Karen Sigurðardóttir, Director of the Reykjavik Museum of Photography.