Jonatan Gretarsson

Jonatan Gretarsson

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Profile and About Jonatan Gretarsson

Jónatan Grétarsson

Jónatan Grétarsson (born 1979) finished his photographers rights ‘Sveinspróf’ from the Reykjavik Technical College in 2002 then he moved to America to study at the International Center of Photography in New York.

Character studies by

Portraits too can turn into works of art: pure political art and icons. It was Andy Warhol who took black-and-white pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, Mao and Beuys and turned them into icons. The character studies of Jónatan Grétarsson (b. 1979) are full of nostalgia and of references to the history of photography in the twentieth century. They are not unlike the material that Andy used. Jónatan documents Icelandic artists, some of whom are familiar, in color, from the world of Icelandic glamor magazines. Color photography is great for glamor magazines. But a black-and-white photograph can turn into an enduring icon. Jónatan's hard, direct light marks out his subjects and pulls on them so that they seem to be coming out to meet the viewer. The view of them is forbidding - no smile, faded color, regret and nostalgia. “Where did the days of your life lose their color, and the poems that rushed from dream to dream through your blood,” as the poet Jóhann Jónsson wrote. Jónatan has developed his documentary method into a high art. His photographs' presence is such that the viewer is brought into the journey and tempted to go through the mirror into that other reality which is full of symbols, icons which have gotten stuck in the upside-down inner world. It is no easy task to come back, so powerful is the experience. We really do see with our minds.

Text by Guðmundur Oddur Magnússon

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Exhibitions:

Portræt Nu! Mikkeli Art Museum, Mikkeli (Finland) 2011
Portræt Nu! Akureyri Kunstmuseum (Iceland) 2010
Portræt Nu! Norsk Folkemuseum (Norge) 2010
Spegilsýnir Duushús Keflavík, Iceland 2010
Portræt Nu! Ljungbergmuseet (Sweden) 2009-10
Portræt Nu! Fredriksborg Slot (Denmark) 2009
Icelandic Artists, Hafnarborg, Iceland 2009

Books:
Andlit, Portraits of Icelandic Artists, 2010

Icelandic
Queens / Artists
Angels / Stages
Scapes / BDSM
And the Kid

Jónatan Grétarsson is among semifinalists in the Hasselblad Masters Award 2012 which are the most prestigious awards in the industry, celebrating the best in both established and rising photographic talent.



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Books

Contact

Jónatan Grétarsson:
jonatangretarsson@gmail.com
On Facebook

jonatangretarsson@gmail.com


Represented by:

Z Photographic Ltd
+44 7917 302 491
ziggi@zphotographic.com

Barber

Photography


752W6624 2

Barber shop

752W6623p


752W6640 3

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Id

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islenski dansflokkurinn 2011 mars 3759


islenski dansflokkurinn 2011 mars 3860


islenski dansflokkurinn 2011 mars 3828

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Photography


jor


jor1


jor3

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helgi hrafn ashes

Motion

helgi hrafn ashes

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Landscape

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MG 5116


MG 2933


MG 7267

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II

Photography


drag queen 2010 044425

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Jónas Sigurðsson Hafið er svart

Motion

Hafið

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City Scapes

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MG 5048


IMG 1816


IMG 1546

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Standing

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sjon og asgerdur 032636

Sjón writer

Steingrimur Eyfjord 032765

Steingrímur Eyfjörð artist

Ragnar Kjartansson 033338

Ragnar Kjartansson artist
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a spakmannsspjarir nl 20709


spakmannsspjarir nl 20995 0


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Agent Fresco

Motion

AgentFresco Implosions WEB

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Angels

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hells angels 7974


MG 8679


hells angels 8025

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elly vilhjalms tonleikar stebbi og bo 18200

Björgvin Halldórsson

Elly Vilhjalms tonleikar Sena 16740

Andrea Gylfadóttir

Elly Vilhjalms tonleikar Sena 16728

Egill Ólafsson
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Recent Work.

Photography


aron


bassi


egill

Egill Sæbjörnsson Visual Artist
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Kids

Photography


01 MG 7704


MG 8178


MG 8146

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BDSM

Photography


BDSM 8202


BDSM 8259


CF009202

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The president

Photography


olafur net MG 0612


Olafur ragnar 03


MG 0693

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Stages

Photography


Ler konungur thjodleikhus feb 2011 2329


brennuvarganir 2010 thjodleikhus 042333


faust feb 2010 041459

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Rock

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718B5372

Travis

718B0967

Foo Fighters

752W6227

Korn
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.

Photography


Hjalmar 17feb 2010 041284

Hjálmar

Greifarnir 2011 7227

Greifarnir

Dr Spock 2010 april 042609

Dr. Spock
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Bodies

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magnus bess 050511 6984


sif sveinsdottir 6343


sif sveinsdottir 6423

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Portrait IIII

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esja 014394


esja 014292


esja 014268

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BDSM II

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BDSM 8427


BDSM 8430 1


BDSM 8916

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The Public Face

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Ronarnir i RVKportrait 44


MG 4491


MG 4490

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Queen of it all

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drag queen 2010 044402 1


haffi1 2010 3


haffi haff 2010 044677

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Jón Dead

Jón Dead

Jón Dead

Jón Dead

Jón Dead

Jón Dead
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Stages II

Photography


Islandsklukkan 2010 1492


Islandsklukkan 2010 1467


Islandsklukkan 2010 1394

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Portrait I

Photography


Gunnar kvaran 034811 2

Gunnar Kvaran musician

hallgrimur helgason 024830

Hallgrímur Helgason Artist

Daniel Agust 09 036743

Daníel Ágúst musician
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Portrait Ii

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Aron Bergmann Magnusson 4709

Aron Bergmann visual artist

Aron Bergmann Magnusson 4684

Aron Bergmann

benedikt erlingsson 020710

Benedikt Erlingsson actor
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Steinunn 2013 22943 1 tritone


steinunn 01


Steinunn 2013 22646 1 heimasida

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tina dickow CF013848

Tina Dickow

borkocover

Börkó

Borko cd cover net

Börkó
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Portrait daylight

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gudmunduer jorundsson CF014647


retro CF014702


retro CF014713

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John Grant / Vietnam

Motion

John Grant Vietnam

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Nude magazine tbl 36 23468 A


Nude magazine tbl 36 23616 a


Nude magazine tbl 36 23489 a

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