Biographical Data

Born in Olafsvik, Iceland, in 1932. He lives and works in Paris since 1958. Gudmundur Gudmundsson, nicknamed Ferro and, later, Erró, first studies at the Fine Arts Academy in Reykjavik (1948-1951), between 1952 and 1954 in the Academy in Oslo and later he continues his education in Florence and Ravenna, Italy. His first individual exhibition takes place in 1955. In the 60’s he starts exhibiting with different artists belonging to the Figuration Narrative movement. Within the context of Fluxus, he ideates happenings and participates in them together with Jean-Jacques Lebel (1963-1965); he also makes the movie Grimaces (1964-1967). In 2001 a retrospective of Erró’s work opens the Reykjavik museum’s new building.

Brief Chronology

Erró travels all around the world and, in his trips, accumulates all sorts of images: pictures, advertisements, movie posters, art reproductions, political documents, etc. He recycles and assembles them on small collages of which he says: “The collage is the most exciting part of my work, the one that allows more freedom; it’s almost like automatic writing. It’s the place where I find formal solutions to saturate space, it’s my “all-over” side, as it is said of American abstract artists. The collage is both an original work and a model at the same time.” He later reproduces these small collages in a much larger scale and in colorful compositions in which he plays with contrasts and differences. His canvases are completely covered by images that defy the rules of perspective and scale. Erró’s work is produced in series: humor and History of Art, politics (Political paintings series), consumer society, music, current affairs; he sees painting as “a way of trying to discover the meaning of a confusing world”.

P.L.T.

www.louiscarre.fr
www.gkm.se
www.zannettacci.com
www.pallade.net

Coup de vent, 2000, Oil on canvas, 151 x 99 cm / 59,4 x 38,9 in.

Valencia scape (1982) Collage, 47 x 74 cm / 18,5 x 29,1 in.

I am happy (1960), Collage, 31 x 24 cm / 12,2 x 9,4 in.