RICEBOY SLEEPS

Although best known as the guitarist and lead singer of Iceland’s post-rock band Sigur Rós, Jón (Jónsi) Þór Birgisson is also a talented and intuitive visual artist. Working collaboratively under the moniker Riceboy Sleeps with his American-born boyfriend, Alex Somers, the pair’s work is currently showing at Fitzroy’s Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. 

“I met Alex on a tour in Boston, through his brother,” Jónsi Birgisson says, “and I thought he was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen.”

That was four years ago. Today, Somers lives with Jónsi in Reykjavik, where they make art and music together, inspired by the beauty in the small things in life.

“It’s an organic process,” says Somers. “Our art grows out of what we experience. We might see fallen leaves blowing in the wind, or find an old photograph, and that inspires us to create our work.”

“It starts out as organic and we finish it on the computer,” Birgisson adds, completing his partner’s sentences in the way that close couples do.

Like the music of Sigur Rós, the art of Riceboy Sleeps is evocative, striking and unique; a quality found in much of the art created in Reykjavik; a city of only 113,000 people, which nonetheless comprises almost 40% of Iceland’s entire population. Given that it is a relatively small city, it’s no surprise that, until recently, Reykjavik had no gay clubs at all; but, says Birgisson, “there’s one gay club now. Its music is fairly typical…” Somers laughs. “Very typical.”

The wind snuck into the cracks of our sleeves, and played songs in our ears is showing at Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces until November 10.
www.gertrude.org.au

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Title
Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Email
Website
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment