Frá ást til ónota: um Kristínu Gunnlaugsdóttur

Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir, a visual artist born in 1963, made a name for herself at the end of the twentieth century with attractive works, often with religious connections. Her imagery changed around 2009 when her paintings became expressive and rough and had overt sexual undertones. In recent years, her works have become increasingly more grotesque. The article seeks to examine key works in Gunnlaugsdóttir’s oeuvre, to gain an understanding of how the works from her different styles have affected viewers. The works and their effects are analysed in the light of R. Howard Bloch’s theories on the development of romantic love, Eva Illouz’s ideas of scopic capitalism, hegemony based on sexual behaviour and economics, and Mary Russo’s research on images of grotesque women’s bodies in a cultural context.