Johann Eyfells

{{Short description|Icelandic artist (1923–2019)}}

{{Icelandic name|Jóhann|surname}}

{{Infobox artist

| name = Jóhann Eyfells

| image = Photo of Johann Eyfells.jpg

| alt = photograph by Mark Alexander

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|06|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Reykjavík, Kingdom of Iceland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2019|12|03|1923|06|21|df=y}}

| death_place = Fredericksburg, Texas, U.S.

| nationality = Icelandic

| field = sculptor

| training = Master of Fine Arts

| influenced by =

| influenced =

| movement =

| works =

| patron =

| awards =

| spouse = {{marriage|Kristín Halldórsdóttir|26 September 1949|20 July 2002|reason=died}}

| children = 1

}}

Jóhann Eyfells (21 June 1923 – 3 December 2019){{cite web|title=Johann Eyfells Sculpture |url=http://www.artisansatrockyhill.com/Upload/Johann_Eyfells.htm |publisher=Artisans at Rocky Hill |accessdate=2014-07-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716022253/http://artisansatrockyhill.com/Upload/Johann_Eyfells.htm |archivedate=2014-07-16 }} was an Icelandic artist.{{cite news |title=Andlát: Jóhann Eyfells |url=https://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2019/12/04/andlat_johann_eyfells/ |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=4 December 2019 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Atli Ísleifsson |title=Jóhann Eyfells er látinn |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20191712796d/johann-eyfells-er-latinn |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Vísir.is |date=4 December 2019 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Kristján Sigurjónsson |title=Jóhann Eyfells myndhöggvari látinn |url=https://www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/johann-eyfells-myndhoggvari-latinn |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=RÚV |date=4 December 2019 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Mark Vosburgh |title=The world takes note of abstract sculptor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-the-world-takes-not/128955200/ |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=The Orlando Sentinel |date=12 September 1993 |pages=D1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}{{cite news |author1=Mark Vosburgh |title=Eyfells' father sent him and brother to U.S. to study |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-eyfells-father-sen/128955328/ |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=The Orlando Sentinel |date=12 September 1993 |pages=D6 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}

Originally trained as an architect, Jóhann worked as a Professor of Art at the University of Central Florida in Orlando{{cite news |title=Jóhann Eyfells í Svörtu á hvítu |url=https://timarit.is/page/6216666?iabr=on#page/n49/mode/1up/search/%22J%C3%B3hann%20Eyfells%22 |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Þjóðlíf |date=1 May 1988 |page=48 |language=Icelandic}} from 1969 until his retirement from university teaching in 1999.{{Cite web |last=Guðrúnardóttir |first=Áslaug |date=2018-12-19 |title=Jóhann Eyfells: Palpable Forces |url=https://listasafnreykjavikur.is/en/exhibitions/johann-eyfells-palpable-forces |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=artmuseum.is |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Remembering Johann Eyfells |url=https://news.cah.ucf.edu/news/remembering-johann-eyfells/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=CAH News |language=en-us}}

The son of the noted Icelandic landscape painter Eyjólfur J. Eyfells (1886–1979) Jóhann Eyfells had been showing his work at international venues since the 1960s.{{cite news |title=Listaverk Jóhanns Eyfells hljóta viðurkenningu vestan hafs |url=https://timarit.is/page/1350766?iabr=on#page/n8/mode/1up/search/%22J%C3%B3hann%20Eyfells%22 |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=23 May 1964 |page=9 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Einar Falur Ingólfsson |title=Listamaðurinn sem tæki í sköpuninni |url=https://timarit.is/page/5247391?iabr=on#page/n34/mode/1up/search/%22J%C3%B3hann%20Eyfells%22 |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=18 February 2009 |page=35 |language=Icelandic}}

The source of his inspiration and the love of his life was his late wife, fellow artist and painter Kristín Halldórsdóttir (1917–2002), a former Icelandic model and dress designer, who he met in California and married on 26 September 1949.{{cite news |title=Jóhann Eyfells |url=https://www.mbl.is/mogginn/bladid/innskraning/?redirect=%2Fmogginn%2Fbladid%2Fgrein%2F1741631%2F%3Ft%3D222727588&page_name=grein&grein_id=1741631 |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=27 December 2019 |language=Icelandic}}{{closed access}} Together they attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where Jóhann earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1953 and where he took a Master of Fine Art degree in sculpture in 1964.

Jóhann began creating his abstract sculptures in the early 1960s based on experiments in chemistry and physics, utilizing the interaction of the various inherent and transformative properties of metals, especially aluminum, iron and copper. His art often conceptual in approach. His use of materials varied between metal, wood, paper, cloth, and latex rubber.

Jóhann's creative drive was to document the interaction between time, space and gravity. His work is based on the concepts of receptualism, a theory he developed to explain the essence of his art. He received much recognition throughout his career, including an invitation from the government of Iceland to represent his homeland at the 45th Venice Biennale. His work has been featured in the United Nations' exhibition, World Artists at the Millennium and the nine-museum traveling exhibition What Nature Provides.{{cite web|url=http://www.seminolemagazine.com/johanneyfellsd04webed.htm |title=Johann Eyfells: Portrait of the Artist |publisher=Seminolemagazine.com |accessdate=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829072244/http://www.seminolemagazine.com/johanneyfellsd04webed.htm |archivedate=2009-08-29 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.floridaartistsregistry.com/artists/johann_eyfells/ |title=Johann Eyfells, Sculptor Represented in Florida Artists Registry.com |publisher=Floridaartistsregistry.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-25 |archive-date=2011-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711010841/http://www.floridaartistsregistry.com/artists/johann_eyfells/ |url-status=dead }}

In 2016 a documentary/biography on the then 92-year-old artist was released; "A Force in Nature: Johann Eyfells".{{cite web |title=A Force in Nature: Jóhann Eyfells |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6093352/ |publisher=imdb.com |access-date=27 July 2023}}{{cite web |title=Náttúruafl: Jóhann Eyfells |url=https://www.ruv.is/sjonvarp/spila/natturuafl-johann-eyfells/31416 |website=ruv.is |publisher=RÚV |access-date=27 July 2023 |language=Icelandic}}