In Icelandic, the term “á landinu” literally means “on the land”. As a foreigner drawn to Iceland’s landscape, people, and culture I sense a hidden subtext behind the term. I once heard an Icelander at the airport use the phrase to ask if a friend had landed; were they “on the land”? At that moment I perceived a subtle allusion to specifically "on the land of Iceland"; the birthplace of every Icelander. For me this suggested that the Icelandic language itself reveals an almost preconscious connection between the land and Icelandic identity. This project explores what it means to be “on Iceland” rather than just “in Iceland”

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I have purposely avoided the dramatic beauty of waterfalls and idyllic pastures, instead searching for incidental details of nature and human infrastructure that symbolically reflect the unique Icelandic experience of the land. Clean lines of geothermal pipes against a bare slope of rock and snow. Stairs on a rugged volcanic hillside rising up to a drab gray sky. The bold use of color on gas stations and rooftops contrasting with graffiti on disintegrating old buildings. Some of these structures show a distinct resourcefulness and respect for the pristine and natural world, while others have been weathered and defeated by an unforgiving climate. I see these scenes as metaphors for the identity and spirit of the Icelandic people who have a deep reverence for, but also defiance against, the terrifying but sublime bleakness of the misty moss-covered lava fields.