as Gunnlaugur Scheving who instead favoured narrative content and an approach to colour and form possibly influenced by fauvism and cubism; and Louisa Matthíasdóttir, based in New York, who learned from abstract expressionism but nevertheless painted from life. The return of figurative art Einar Hákonarson's show in 1968 distinguished itself from its Icelandic art scene then current as Hákonarson’s paintings were pop, figurative and expressionistic. This exhibition brought the figure back into the Icelandic painting, which had been dominated by the abstract art for years. Hakonarson said he was more influenced by feeling for nature, rather than by trying to paint a specific part of it. Icelandic art from the late twentieth century The portrayal of the landscape through visual art has remained a prominent (perhaps the most prominent) theme in Icelandic art to the present day, often reflected in the exhibitions at the country's national gallery. Its 2007 summer exhibition, for example, was called "Alas Nature!" and described as an exhibition which "aims to examine nature in a different light and from a different angle from what is generally accepted". Debate has occurred within the artistic community as to whether an appropriate balance has been struck in the support of galleries and public institutions for different media, traditions and subjects in Icelandic visual art. See also Architecture of Iceland Center for Icelandic Art Culture of Iceland List of Icelandic visual artists SEQUENCES real-time art festival References Reading Ólafur Kvaran (ed.), Þórarinn B. Þorláksson: Pioneer at the Dawn of a Century, Listasafn Íslands, Reykjavík, 2000. Ólafur Kvaran and Karla Kristjánsdóttir (eds), Confronting Nature: Icelandic Art of the 20th Century, National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavík, 2001. Hrafnhildur Schram, Dagny Heiddal and Harpa Thórsdóttir, Patterns of Land and Colour: Júlíana Sveinsdóttir, Listasafn Íslands, Reykjavík, 2003. Jed Perl (ed.), Louisa Matthiasdottir, Hudson Hills Press, New York, 1999, External links National Gallery of Iceland (Listasafn Íslands) Reykjavik Art Museum IcelandicArtCenter.IS – Center for Icelandic Art LIST icelandic art news FÉLAGSMENN SÍM Venice biennale, Icelandic Art Center Iceland