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Iceland's Artists, Musicians, and Designers Defy Homogenized-Culture by Cultivating Their Own
By Kathleen Gasperini
Intro
During the cusp of seasons just below the Arctic Circle, Reykjavik, Iceland, is painted by nature. Nights turn black-purple with aurora borealis and days of half-sunrises bathe the city in an amber glow. Houses painted red, cobalt, and yellow, tightly packed between churches, shops, and cafés vibrate in this Arctic glow with an unearthly effect. On the horizon, mountains flat from glacial drift and a black North Atlantic Ocean remind you of the source of an omnipresent biting wind. Yet the city's sheer physicality, which also straddles the Atlantic rift, makes it a creative outpost for artists cultivating their own culture.
 The unique results are not new to pop culture. Bjork, poets, and various fashion designers have told the city's story of magical inspiration. What's fascinating, however, is that Reykjavik is a creative settlement that continues to spout individuals who change the way the world views art, fashion, and music. As Rob Young aptly described it in "Desolation Angels," [Wire magazine], "Amid the general mulch of homogenized and syndicated culture the world over, such small flurries are what remind you that things don't have to be the way the big forces want you to believe it is."
Iceland's flurries are grounded in its artistic scenes: Fashion from Eskimo Models and designers showcased in the Futurice fashion show, musicians Sigur Ros, Emiliana Torrini, and Mum, indie films "Children of Nature" and "101 Reykjavik," and the graffiti art underground harbored in skateboarding hubs in warehouses near Esso oil tanks.
The next two weeks, BigWig will provide visual and verbal cutting-edge stories about the artistic scene coming from Reykjavik, Iceland, including:
Fashion designers, Aftur and Saeunn
Eskimo Models and a fashion shoot at the Blue Lagoon and Hotel Borg
Band reviews of Sigur Ros, Moa, Mum, and Emiliana Torrini
Graffiti artists of the North Atlantic
Photo Gallery from Reykjavik
For more information about Iceland, contact the Icelandic Board of Tourism at (212) 885-9710; www.goiceland.org Reykjavik is a conventient and exciting layour to and from Europe. Iceland Air offers layover packages with trips to the Blue Lagoon. For more information, contact Icelandair at (410) 715-5153; www.icelandair.com.
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