Last weekend I visited the McMichael Collection with the Southern Ontario Nature and Science Illustrators to see the exhibit “Vanishing Ice.” As described in the promotional material, this exhibit “…offers a glimpse into the rich cultural legacy of the planet’s frozen frontiers. International in scope, it traces the impact of glaciers, icebergs, and fields of ice on artists’ imaginations. The exhibition explores connections between generations of artists who have adopted different styles, media, and approaches to interpret the magical light and fantastic shapes of ice.” Occasionally throughout the exhibit, a quote related to the subject was emblazoned on the gallery wall. One such quote caught our eye. It’s from a 1937 letter to Admiral Richard Byrd written by David Abbey Paige, who was the official artist on Admiral Byrd’s second expedition to Antarctica:
I believe that after the heroic part of the expedition has been forgotten, these colour records which I have will long be remembered by the future generations. I say this as a student of history: art and science always are more successful when they are joined together, because without graphic illustrations of its results, science is less comprehensive and sometimes very dry. All through the ages, the civilized world has left its best results graphically whether in print or in pictorial form.
Well spoken!
One of my favorite artists, Caspar David Friedrich, was represented in this exhibit with his piece “The Sea of Ice” or “Wreck of the Hope” though it seemed a rather dull reproduction of the original painting:
The piece that made the biggest impression on me was a large painting of a beautifully rendered block of ice with some penguins on it by Alexis Rockman. See it in this slideshow of the artist’s work (#5).
This piece by Spencer Tunick prompted much discussion with others in my group. Six hundred naked people lying down on a glacier! I hope it didn’t take too long for the photographer to direct that shot….
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Syndicated on Science Borealis
Was talking with students today about the combination of arts and sciences and careers in this area. As a class, we toured your website. Thanks
Thank YOU, Matt! 🙂