Signs, Nordic House, Reykjavik, Iceland, 1994
GOOD HAT
In 1994 I exhibited Good Hat at a show I held at the Nordic House in Reykjavík. Many of the photographs in this book were taken on the opening day of that show. Others were taken later, and all of them became part of the work, which gradually grew as the exhibition continued.
I invited visitors to the exhibition to put the Hat on and think about something good and beautiful, thus activating the Hat for the benefit of those who mayput the hat on later.
The Good Hat is a magical hat, because it stores up the good and positive thoughts of those who put it on. The Hat can absorb endless positive energy, and it can never be emptied.
In time the Good Hat will become a chakra or energy centre of benevolence, sincerity and positive thinking. Hence one can go to it in order to feel optimism, calm and kindness, to make for a better and more enjoyable life. The Hat stores up, and it gives.
The Good Hat is made of iron, foam and velvet – materials that can easily absorb and store positive energy. The Hat has the admirable quality of separating the negative and bad from the positive and beneficial. It gets rid of the bad and negative, while storing up the good and constructive.
The Good Hat is not comfortable to wear. It is rigid and heavy, reminding us that there is much in life that is difficult and challenging – that it is essential to approach all tasks with an open mind.
The more people try on the Good Hat and fill it with thoughts charged with positivity, the more potent it will become.
The Good Hat is like a house where happy people have lived. Beauty reigns there. But the Hat has the advantage over the house that it can be taken anywhere, and other people can be invited to put it on and receive the good energy that is contained within it.
Those who have meditated for a while with the Good Hat on their heads can take that energy with them out into their lives.
Anyone who wants can have a share of the Good Hat, or make their own Good Hat.
Sincere thanks to all those who helped to make the Good Hat a bigger and better work.
Héraðsdal í Skagafirði í mars 2018
Þórdís Alda Sigurðardóttir
Ég sendi beiðni og merkispjald til 50 samferðamanna þar sem ég bað þá um skópar merkta eigandanum á merkispjald sem fylgdi og texta sem tengdust skónum. Þannig var gerð tilraun til að varðveita ákveðnar minningar sem tengdust skónum. Enginn klæðnaður mótast jafnmikið af eiganda sínum og skór. Þeir mótast varanlega í hverju spori sem hann stígur til jarðar í þeim.
Lífsmynstur , snúningar , venjur og val leiða í lífinu og varðveisla minninga sem því tengist er efniviður þessa verks . Verkið sjálft er orðið að minningu, það hefur sofið Þyrnirósarsvefni frá því 1994 þegar það var upprunalega gert og sýnt. Í millitíðinni gerist það að ,,hesturinn‘‘ í verkinu, Sókron frá Sunnuhvoli , sá sem á skeifurnar fellur frá. Ári eftir fæ ég senda mynd af honum á skeiðsprettinum árið 1982 þegar hann nær því að komast í þriðja sæti í A flokki gæðinga á Landsmóti á Vindheimamelum aðeins 6 vetra gamall .
Á þessari mynd er hann einmitt með skeifurnar sem notaðar eru í verkinu.
Gullhúðaðir skór Hörpu Björnsdóttur sem einnig eru í verkinu og álhúðaðar skeifurnar hans Sókrons eru svipaðar aðferðir til að varðveita dauða hluti sem tengja okkur við hið lifandi og frjóa. Báðir hlutirnir halda áfram að lifa þótt þeir séu steindauðir. Þetta er einskonar upprisa efnisins yfir í andann.
