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Conclusion |
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When
thinking of Iceland, many people have an image in their head of a
cold and hostile place with total darkness, polar bears, Inuit and
igloos. Most people
get flabbergasted when they find out the truth.
Icelandic nature seems to touch a cord in peoples mind, no
matter where in the world they come from.
Everyone seems to be able to connect themselves to some
aspect of nature; the calmness, the quietness, the cleanness, the
feeling that no one has walked your way before you. |
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To
remember their stay when they come back home, tourists like to
take something with them, as proof for others that they have been
places. Tourists
coming to Iceland find it important or appropriate to take a piece
of nature with them. Some
take actual stones from the ground but most people buy their
souvenirs. As I
mentioned in the beginning, authenticity plays a big part in the
tourist's choice of souvenirs.
With
works of art hanging around in so many places during
their stay in Iceland, the tourist sees artworks as something
special and authentic for the place.
Even though the subject of the paintings chosen by the tourist
is different from the subject Icelanders themselves choose
and hang on their walls, the authenticity of it is the same. |
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Willett’s
theory is that to be able to enjoy art, you have to understand
it. The tourists find
a connection to the nature and thus like in Willett’s theory are
able to enjoy art as they understand Icelandic landscape paintings
or art objects created out of Icelandic natural material. |
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Icelandic
artists say the tourists' choice of subject does not effect their
creativity, though exceptions are made due to special wishes or
circumstances. |
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The
influences run both ways. Tourism
influences art just as art influences the tourists.
With growing numbers of new artists, the demand of Icelandic
buyers on the market will diminish.
Icelandic art in not exactly an export product on its own,
so who knows, perhaps we might start seeing increasing numbers of
landscape paintings in ten years time. |
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