Free Screening of “A Force in Nature: Jóhann Eyfells” at WWU Nov. 15

“A Force in Nature” is the biopic of 88-year-old Jóhann Eyfells - an Icelandic artist living in Texas. The screening is presented by the Department of Art & Art History, and will be introduced by Western Gallery Director Hafþór Yngvason, who appears in the film. The screen is in Old Main Theatre at 3 p.m. on November 15, and is free and open to the public.

 A long time teacher of art at the University of Central Florida, Eyfells, along with his late life-long partner, artist Kristin Eyfells, have together forged a path of such pure creative force that their vast body of work can be likened to an undiscovered frontier of new expression and bold ideas. It's also the story of a man who left his Icelandic homeland and family at the age of 23 to carve a life for himself in America first as an amateur boxing champion, than as an architect, and finally, as a dedicated artist and teacher. The story will reveal the forces that shaped his early life in Iceland, a land of fire and ice. The same forces become sources of inspiration in his long life as a sculptor and thinker.

I am 88, and yes I am an old man, yet I am now on a wave of growing productivity and ideas. I want the world to know that I am always evolving as an artist and at this moment in time, I am finding a growing momentum in my work. You haven't seen anything yet. I am a force in motion...

The film, made by Vishwanand “V” Shetti, speaks to all artists, young and old alike, who see Jóhann Eyfells as a beacon of hope in bringing artistic expression to an entirely new level of understanding. Eyfells' body of work, at its core, conveys the very essence of nature's powerful creative force that reside both in the material and metaphysical world we live in: “the creative forces trump the destructive forces, because the latter is subordinated by it. Love is such a force that it can never be destroyed."

Jóhann Eyfells, a constantly evolving artist, is presently working on a new series of work that embodies his vision that takes prehistoric elements and combines them with contemporary steel structures. Rocks, reminiscent of Stonehenge, shaped and sculpted by time, by the slow erosive power of water and wind are now a part of his vision as an artist.

About the filmmaker

Vishwanand “V” Shetti works using various visual mediums. He grew up drawing and painting yet found himself at Texas A&M with a bunch of short films and a Computer Science degree. Immediately, V moved to L.A., beginning work on film crews. Starting out in props and art direction, V transitioned into editing movies and music videos. V went back to grad school at A&M, earning is Masters in Visualization while shooting and editing many collaborations. These included performances, installations, exhibits, and other commissioned videos. In recent years, V has shot and edited feature films, web docs, and a handful of music videos. V is also doing photography and digital illustration while teaching animation and editing at the Art Institute of Austin.