“This piece questions the remaking of nature and our ability to judge the truthfulness of what is natural based on our knowledge and experiences.”

— Ólöf Nordal, 2020 USM Artist-in-Residence
An image of two rocks overlooking a large body of water. One is a light grey on the right; the other is more angular and black on the left. They cast long shadows on grass pointing upwards and right. The sky above is stormy.

Ólöf Nordal’s new artwork spurs contemplation on the nature of making in our increasingly warming world. The Maine granite rock Nordal selected is around 300 million years old. The 5000-year-old lava rock (hraun-hella in Icelandic) shipped to Portland highlights how the ecology, cultures, and economies of two continents are thrust ever closer. Nordal states: “The work also questions what gets gained and lost in cultural translation, often as a result of misunderstanding.” This questioning of what gets lost in translation is evident in the two fabricated “rocks.” From far away, one sees four rocks. However, a closer view reveals traces of large objects’ laborious and difficult casting process, such as small surface imperfections and seams.

Two rocks sit next to each other on a grassy ground. The rock on the right is smooth and oval shaped, light grey in color. The rock on the left is rough and more rectangular, black and brown in color.

Hella Rock was created in collaboration with the USM Art Department. USM art students Gillian Brosnan, Max Carter, Lucy Freeman, Kelly Ledsworth, Josh Nelson, Rachel Robertson, and Katharine Rozanski made replicas of the two rocks under the direction of sculpture professors Michael Shaughnessy, Mathew Burke, and Studio Technician Stephen Walsh. The rock molds were cast at Swan’s Concrete Products. Director of Exhibitions and Programs Carolyn Eyler coordinated the project, and Art Department Chair Kelly Hrenko provided oversight for the program. Ólöf Nordal’s residency is sponsored by the Warren Memorial Foundation Visiting Artist Series and the Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF) with additional community support from the Maine International Trade Center. Thanks to the City of Portland and Creative Portland for fostering this project.

An image of two rocks at left and a mirror image of the two rocks at right sitting on a grassy overlook. The background is a horizon with water and a sunset.