Havsøye—Eye of the Sea
The sculpture “Havsøye”" in Sortland - Process
by Odd-Roger Dahl
The offer to join in the art project Artscape Nordland was well received in Sortland. While there were some critical voices among the local population, the municipal culture board was quite enthusiastic, as were the majority of the members on the municipal council. The choice of Icelandic artist Sigurdur Gudmundson was also well received.
The artist showed great interest in the municipality's history and close ties to the beautiful Sortland sound and the mountains surrounding the town. He explored the area with the municipal director of culture, and was soon put in contact with Lødingen Steinindustri in Vestbygda, where he found the rock qualities he wanted to use for his sculpture “Havsøye”. This marked the beginning of a successful collaboration between Gudmundson, Lødingen Steinindustri and the municipal cultural administration. Lødingen Steinindustri provided the craftsmanship in the production and polishing of the rocks, and also assembled the sculpture in collaboration with the artist.
The choice of site was a joint decision by the artist and the municipality. The sculpture was first placed temporarily at the water's edge near the town square. The unveiling ceremony included author Ivar Eskeland, who read a prologue written especially for the sculpture. Sortland Musikkforening, among others, provided the musical entertainment. Also present were representatives from Nordland County Council, the Municipality of Sortland and the municipality's cultural community.
Later, the town built a guest marina with its own breakwater, and the sculpture got pride of place at the end of this structure. Through "Havsøye", you can see the Sortland sound and the mountains toward Sigerfjord mirrored in several different dimensions and angles. This prominent location has contributed to making the sculpture and breakwater a popular lookout. The sculpture is an eye-catcher.
MEMO
“Concept:
- boat
- house
- ace of diamonds (ask the deck of cards for answers)
- diamond (view of the sea through the rhombus)
- black sculpture (Sortland = black land)
Materials:
Concrete, granite, syenite (or other black rock)
Techniques:
Cut in blocks (at quarry), polish—to be assembled by the artist
Dimensions:
Width 2 m, height 3.40 m
Location:
At the harbour/harbour street (preferably close to the hotel). Must be possible to view the sea through the hole.”