Magnus Sigurdarson has always been a bit of a maverick in his multi-varied art practice, creating works ranging from photography exploring notions of identity to massive installations employing eight tons of salt and industrial fans to recreate an Icelandic tempest. In recent years we have seen imagery of the conceptual artist as apunk Viking washed up on the shores of South Beach after a drunken debauch and as a Beef Eater thumbing his nose at staid British customs.
He has even rendered images of former first lady, Laura Bush reading to children on Sesame Street, in sensational Play Doh finger paintings critiquing the television show as a bastion of American propaganda. For Sigurdarson, whose cranial gearbox is always whirring, art is a playground for tinkering with ideas even when he lacks inspiration. We caught up with the Icelandic native who spoke about his new show, “Absenteeism” at Dimensions Variable reflecting a stark departure from earlier works and his current take on the art world.
