Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art, 1775-2012
Accompanying the exhibition Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art, 1775-2012, at the Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA, this 144-page catalog includes 80 color illustrations with notes, bibliography, and illustrated timeline.
Vanishing Ice introduces the rich artistic legacy of the planet’s frozen frontiers now threatened by a changing climate. Tracing the impact of glaciers, icebergs, and fields of ice on artists’ imaginations, this interdisciplinary survey explores the connections between generations of artists who adopt different styles, media, and approaches to interpret alpine and polar landscapes.
Beginning in the eighteenth century, collaborations between the arts and natural sciences contributed to a deeper understanding of snowcapped mountains, the Arctic, and Antarctica. A resurgence of interest in these environments as dramatic indicators of climate change galvanizes contemporary expeditions to the glaciers and the poles. Today, artists, writers, and scientists awaken the world to both the beauty and rapidly declining fields of ice.
Vanishing Ice unfolds thematically and chronologically, interweaving art, natural science, and the history of exploration. International in scope, it features artists from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States.