An artist by the name of Lita Albuquerque has christened Antarctica's barren lands the best way she knows how -- by creating the continent's first and largest temporary art installation.
Lita Albuquerque, American, b. 1946, Stellar Axis, Constellation 1, 2006, Archival inkjet print by Jean de Pomereu, 20 Âľ x 47 ÂĽ in. (53 x 120 cm), Whatcom Museum, Gift of Jean de Pomereu, 2013.17.2
The work, titled "Stellar Axis," consists of 99 blue spheres positioned in perfect harmony with the stars that hover above the Earth's icy terrain. The result is a sprawling dotted universe that transforms the South Pole's white expanses into a gorgeous homage to the constellations.
Lita Albuquerque, American, b. 1946, Stellar Axis, Constellation 1, 2006, Archival inkjet print by Jean de Pomereu, 20 Âľ x 47 ÂĽ in. (53 x 120 cm), Whatcom Museum, Gift of Jean de Pomereu, 2013.17.2
This image of "Stellar Axis," captured by photographer Jean de Pomereu, is one of many snapshots taken during Albuquerque's expedition to Antarctica. The work is part of the "Vanishing Ice" exhibition at Washington's Whatcom Museum, a show dedicated to our planet's "frozen frontiers."
"Vanishing Ice offers another perspective on 'why ice matters,'" Whatcom Museum writes on its website. "By highlighting the importance of alpine and polar landscapes in Western art, it aspires to kindle a personal connection to these regions along with an active commitment to their preservation."
Alexis Rockman, American, b. 1962, Adelies, 2008, Oil on wood, 68 x 80 in. (172.72 x 203.2 cm), Collection of Robin and Steven Arnold
Museum curator Barbara Matilsky gathered 90 works of art from 12 separate countries, highlighting the legacy of climate change in art and the ways in which generations of artists have depicted glaciers, icebergs and fields of ice around the world. From the 21st century paintings of Alexis Rockman to the 19th century lithographs by Barthélémy Lauvergne, the collection is a comprehensive dive into a geographically-specific aesthetic. Documentation mingles with abstraction, experimental installations sit adjacent to feats of rendered realism, as corners of rarely trekked terrains get their moment in the spotlight.
Scroll down for a preview of "Vanishing Ice" below and let us know your thoughts on the works in the comments.
Camille Seaman, Shinnecock tribe, b. 1969, Grand Pinnacle Iceberg, East Greenland, from the Last Iceberg, 2006, Ultrachrome archival inkjet print, 26 x 80 in. (66.04 x 203.2 cm), Courtesy of the artist and Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica
Herbert Ponting, British, 1870–1935, Grotto in berg, Terra Nova in the distance. Taylor and Wright (interior), , January 5, 1911, Platinum print made in 2009 from the original negative, 31.50 x 22.83 in. (80 x 58 cm), © Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, England
Jean de Pomereu, French, b. 1969, Fissure 2 (Antarctica) from Sans Nom, 2008, Archival inkjet print, 42. x 50 3/4 in. (107 x 129 cm), Whatcom Museum, Gift of the artist, 2013.17.1
“Melting Ice,” a site-specific installation by artist Jyoti Duwadi, is part of “Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art 1775-2012,” on view now at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, WA.
Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1889–1975, Trail Riders, 1964–65, Oil on canvas, 67 ½ x 85 3/8 in. (171.5 x 217 cm), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Gift of the artist, 1975.42.1
William Bradford, American, 1823–1892, Caught in the Ice Floes, c. 1867, Oil on canvas, 37 1/2 x 55 1/4 in. (95.25 x 140.3 cm), Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (Kendall Collection), New Bedford, MA
"Vanishing Ice" will be on display at Whatcom Museum through March 2, 2014, before it travels to El Paso Museum of Art in Texas, where it will be on view from June 1 to August 24, 2014.