Í verkum sínum hefur Ólöf Nordal meðal annars kannað frávik frá því eðlilega í náttúrunni og sækir hún gjarnan efnivið í íslenskan þjóðsögur og sagnir. Þar fann hún fjórar frásagnir af hvítum hröfnum sem hún hefur myndgert í hvítt gifs sem á sér langa sögu innan höggmyndalistarinnar. Yfirleitt skera hvítingjar sig úr fjöldanum og eru þess vegna útskúfaðir eða smáðir. Hér eru hvítir hrafnar hins vegar settir á stall, þeir eru máttugir, jafnvel yfirþyrmandi. Ólöf minnir okkur á að eðlileg en óalgeng frávik í náttúrunni krefjast víðsýni og umburðarlyndis á öllum sviðum og ekki sé ástæða til að hræðast hið óþekkta. 

Hrafninn er algengur fugl á Íslandi og tengist margvísleg þjóðtrú þessum svarta og dulúðuga fugli. Hann er meðal annars talinn hafa spásagnargáfu og vera feigðarboði en hann er einnig sagður bjargvættur þeirra sem reynast honum vel. Hvítir hrafnar eru afar sjaldséðir. Þeir eru engu að síður til, en orsök þess að hvítingjar eru til meðal hinna ýmsu dýrategunda er skortur á litarefnum eða hæfni húðfruma til að framleiða litarefni. Tilvist hvítingja á sér eðlilegar skýringar en var illskiljanleg áður fyrr án skýringa náttúruvísinda. Þjóðtrúin hefur gætt hvíta hrafna yfirskilvitlegum eiginleikum og telur þá sendiboða óvæntra atburða, jafnvel sérstaka sendiboða æðri máttarvalda.

In Ólöf Nordal´s body of work we may find examples of an exploration of natural aberrations from the norm, and she often finds her material in Icelandic folklore and myths. There she found four tales of white ravens that she has illustrated in white plaster, material with a long history in sculpture. Normally albinos distinguish themselves from the masses and are therefore cast out or humiliated. Here the white ravens are instead placed on a pedestal – they are powerful, even overpowering. Ólöf reminds us that natural, but rare, deviations from the norm in nature demand an open mind and tolerance on every level, and that there is no reason to be afraid of the unknown.

The raven is a common bird in Iceland and many superstitious beliefs relate to this black and mystical bird. Amongst other myths, the raven is considered to possess prophetic gifts and to foretell death, but it is also said to be the saviour of those who treat him well. White ravens are very rare. They nevertheless exist, but the reason why albinism exists amongst various animal species is a reduced amount of melanin or ability to produce melanin. The existence of albinos has natural causes, but it was incomprehensible to people before the advent of scientific explanations. Popular belief has endowed white ravens with metaphysical qualities, considering them harbingers of unexpected events, even special emissaries of higher forces.

The raven is a common bird in Iceland and many superstitious beliefs relate to this black and mystical bird. Amongst other myths, the raven is considered to possess prophetic gifts and to foretell death, but it is also said to be the saviour of those who treat him well. White ravens are very rare. They nevertheless exist, but the reason why albinism exists amongst various animal species is a reduced amount of melanin or ability to produce melanin. The existence of albinos has natural causes, but it was incomprehensible to people before the advent of scientific explanations. Popular belief has endowed white ravens with metaphysical qualities, considering them harbingers of unexpected events, even special emissaries of higher forces.

Afrit af safnkosti þeim er hér er birtur felur í sér höfundaréttarvarið efni, en birtingin fer fram á grundvelli samningskvaðasamnings á milli Myndstefs og viðkomandi safns. Samningurinn veitir enn fremur leyfi til endurnotkunar verkanna til einkanota og í kennslu eða í fræðsluskyni. Öll önnur endurbirting/eintakagerð er óheimil. Ef spurningar vakna um forsendur samningskvaðasamningsins, eða ef einstaka höfundur vill ekki heimila notkun verka sinna undir ofangreindum skilmálum, skal hafa samband við Myndstef

© Copyright

National and international copyright laws protect the artwork here presented. Publishing of the artwork on this website is based on a Extended Collective License (ECL) between Myndstef and each museum, according to the Icelandic copyright bill. This ECL also permits the use of the artworks for research, educational or private use. The artworks may not be reproduced or made public in any other way. Please contact Myndstef for further information or in order to obtain a license.