Images of Iceland
The work of Mats Wibe Lund

In the summer of 1954, a young Norwegian student, Mats Wibe Lund, sailed to Iceland in search of adventure, following in the footsteps of his Viking ancestors who had settled there almost 1,100 years before. On arrival, he participated in an archaeological excavation at the medieval cathedral church and bishopric at Skálholt, and later that same summer travelled extensively around the country. Following that first visit, Mats returned to Iceland some 25 times on a variety of photographic and journalistic assignments, before finally settling down in Reykjavik in 1966. Over the years, he has recorded at first hand many of the profound changes which have taken place in Icelandic society over the past five decades. Mats Wibe Lund studied aerial photography in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, with NATO in France, and at college in Germany from 1956-62. For several decades he operated his own photographic wholesale and retail firm, along with a portrait studio and a commercial photo lab. Today, his extensive library includes some 300,000 photographs spanning more than 50 years of Icelandic history. To offer his clients the best service possible, Mats is at present scanning his extensive analog works and entering them into digital storage and presentation for publication and general use. His works are delivered either on the Internet or CD-ROM with files tailored to fit the exact needs of the customer or as hughe décor photos. Mats Wibe Lund’s work reflects Iceland in all its many and varied shades and moods, presented through a spectrum of scenic compositions and stunning landscapes captured from the ground and in the air. No matter the season, he still pursues his passion of aerial photography with the same single-minded passion, flying all over the country in search of new subjects and the perfect light. Today, Mats decor photos adorn thousands of homes, companies and public buildings all over the world and some have been presented as gifts by the Icelandic government to visiting heads of state. Over the years, he has taken part in several joint exhibitions both in Iceland and abroad, and staged numerous one-man exhibitions in his adopted country. An extensive presentation of Mats works can be found on www.mats.is where you can visit as a guest. Permision for downloading of high res files must be applied for in writing. You can send him a letter on: mats@mats.is, or simply call (+354) 892 1012. No matter wether you have international keeboard or an icelandic one, you may search entering the particular name in nominative or look up different groups of photos as well as regions. Please get aquainted with the special keyword list above. If you don’t find what you are looking for, chances are that this has still to be scanned and entered on the site. Please send and inquiry and it wil be dealt with soon.