Nordic Currents

In her exhibition Nordic Currents, Wittrock articulates both the pristine beauty of her native Denmark and the northern climate that has long challenged resident species, both man and beast. Her most recent sculptural installation consists of bird-like constructions made from ships’ sails sourced by Wittrock from Danish yachtsmen. Her use of reclaimed material in this way metaphorically aligns the experiences of her sea-faring ancestors with those of migrating birds that inhabit the Nordic coastline, referencing their shared reliance on the natural elements for survival.

The narrative element is further developed as the weathered sails reveal their distinct histories, each wrinkle marking a storied and windswept past “Working with huge weather-beaten sails gives me a lot of stories, stories that I do not find in a completely new fabric. Like a face gets wrinkled over time, the sail is also full of lines and wrinkles and scars.” – Danish Textile Artist Ms. Grethe Wittrock.

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Beth C. McLaughlin
Artistic Director and Chief Curator
Fuller Craft Museum
Massachusetts, USA