Gjertrud Hals

Multimedia sculptor

©Omar Sejnæs

©Sjur Fedje

©Odd Hals

Inspiration caught in a net

Gjertrud’s objects vary in nature and in the techniques applied
She enjoys to play and experiment on her own
Her artwork tends to blend into the environment

Having been born and raised on a small island on the north-western coast of Norway, Gjertrud Hals is hugely influenced by the landscape in her artwork. Much of her work is an attempt at expressing the connection between the island’s micro-history and the world’s macro-history. Her creations are “nets artworks” made of thread, metal wire, paper or paper fibre. But also embroideries and 3D works made of paper and fibre, metal wire and resin. “I am working with the connection between form, light and shadow. For me, lightness is an important quality, often combined with sizes and shapes that are normally thought of as massive and solid. When I am creating sculptural volumes, I prefer to use materials that look fragile, but are actually physically strong.”

Interview

©Omar Sejnæs

©Odd Hals

How did you develop your own techniques?: I was trained as a tapestry weaver in the 1970s, but I soon started experimenting with new ways to use this traditional craft. My breakthrough came in the late 1980s with “Lava”, a series of one-metre-high urns made of cotton and flax pulp. These vessels mark my transition from textile to fibre art.
Do you think tradition is as important as innovation?: Indeed. Every day I use skills acquired through the years, using them in new combinations and taking them in new directions. Although my art today looks quite different from the tapestries I once made, in my mind they are closely related.
In what way is nature part of your creations?: I feel deeply attached to the nature and the culture that I am a part of. Most of the material I use is found around where I live: twigs, roots and plant fibres. Copper and iron wire is recycled locally and I also have a lot of things from my father’s workshop, who was a metal worker.
What inspires your work?: Mythology is a never-ending source of inspiration, I like to relate history to mythology as a way of dealing with what is happening in today’s world. However, more than anything else, I am inspired by my own memories and experiences – at my age I have plenty to choose from!

Gjertrud Hals is an expert artisan she began her career in 1975