| His name is Jóhann Eyfells. His artwork has appeared in both the Helsinki and Venice Biennales, has been featured at the UN and in the Munich Olympics. Originally from Iceland, for many years, Eyfells was a tenured professor of sculpture in Florida. Jóhann eventually moved to the Texas Hill Country near Luckenbach where he has a studio. Along highway 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, you will see a few acres of land that standout among the vineyards because they are filled with his amazing sculptures. Due to their imposing scale and poetic natural lyricism, the sculptures are hard to miss. At 94 years of age, this irrepressible old Viking can be seen every day moving massive stones and erecting enormous works in steel and aluminum. Many of his artworks are organic indeed and go far beyond the conventional meaning of that term. Eyfells does not simply represent nature or use its elements in narrative as so many other artists might. |
Jóhann creates unprecedented artworks that appear to have been fabricated by nature itself. At times, there is no evidence of the human hand at all and some of his sculptures seem to be natural formations as if they sprung directly from the Earth. An Eyfells' sculpture may appear to be the result of vulcanism and many are virtually indistinguishable from features in an Icelandic landscape.
His artwork is cosmological in inspiration. Profoundly conceptual and in dialogue with minimalism yet distinctly non derivative of it, Eyfells' sculptures can be simultaneously representational and yet masterpieces of abstraction.
Jóhann Eyfells' artwork is absolutely unique and unmistakable for the works of any other artist. He is one of the most innovative sculptors of his generation and has created an impressive body of work that represents an important contribution to the art historical canon. Never one to court fame or seek out commercial success, Eyfells instead spent a lifetime in pursuit of sculptural perfection. His artworks reflect that priority and history will undoubtedly recognize his undeniable genius. - By Joseph Bravo