SELMA JÓNSDÓTTIR AÐFARAORÐ FOREWORD Valtýr Pétursson hefur síöustu fjóra áratugi verið einn virkasti persónuleiki í íslensku listalífi. Hann var meðal upphafsmanna Septembersýninganna, sem komu róti á hugi manna og mörkuðu tímamót í íslenskri myndlist. Á Septembersýningunni 1947 kom hann fyrst opinber- lega fram sem málari. Valtýr hefur alltaf haft brennandi áhuga á viðgangi myndlistar á íslandi. Hann hefur verið ósérhlífinn þátttakandi í samtökum íslenskra og reyndar nor- rænna listamanna, og oft komið fram sem talsmaður þeirra og beitt áhrifum sínum þeim í hag. Eftir að hann gerðist listdómari Morgunblaðsins 1953 hefur hann skrifað að staðaldri um myndlist og jafnan veitt ungum og upprennandi listamönnum örvandi hönd með jákvæðum viðhorfum. Með þessari sýningu sem Listasafn íslands efnir nú til gefst áhorfendum ekki aðeins kostur á að fá yfirlit um lífsstarf málarans Valtýs Péturssonar, heldur einnig að endurnýja fyrri kynni við einn ötulasta og ágætasta fulltrúa geómetrískrar abstraktsjónar á íslandi, en sú stefna á nú vaxandi fylgi að fagna víða um heim svo að jafnvel mætti líkja við endurvakningu. Valtýr Pétursson has been one of the most prolific artists in lceland for the last four decades. He was one of the founders and a original participant in the September Exhibitions, which shook people out of their complacency and marked the start of a new era in lcelandic art history. The September Exhibition in 1947 was his public debut as a painter. Valtýr has always had a keen interest in the progress of art in lceland. He has been an active participant in lcelandic and Nordic artists’ associations, has often been their spokesman and has used his influence to improve the artist’s lot. After becoming art critic for the lcelandic daily, Mor- gunblaðið in 1953 he has written regularly on the subject and has encouraged up and coming young artists by his positive attitude. This exhibition held by the National Gallery of lceland not only gives the guest an opportunity of seeing the whole range of Valtýr Pétursson’s work as a painter but also of renewing acquaintance with one of the most dedicated and accomplished representative of the geometric abstraction in lceland. This movement now enjoys such growing popularity in many countries that it could almost be referred to as a revival. 5

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