The Arctic

During an art residency in the Arctic at 78° north in 2024, my prior imagination about this zone was constantly confronted by the reality.  The undeniable effects of climate change, amplified in the Arctic, staying in a town that was founded on coal mining, which is now being marketed as a sustainable destination, the impact of tourism, and the hype (some necessary…and some to please the tourists) around the polar bears.  The irony of the taxidermy polar bear ‘forever going nowhere’ on the baggage carousel at arrivals at Longyearbyen airport.  (See photograph on right).

In Tourism Conundrum I have photocopied one of my small paintings of this 'Airport' bear and downsized it, to an outline, a ghost, a further caricature of itself and then placed it into a carefully painted rendition of one of the 3 magnificent glaciers I was so lucky to go to, (along with approximately 100 other tourists on that particular day). The painting Glacier 1 is inspired by the first large glacier that I went to near Pyrimiden, a Russian Coal Mining town, mostly abandoned in the 1990’s - see my blog for more on this residency.

Tourism Conundrum. 2026. Oil on Canvas. 300mm h x 1215 mm w

Glacier I. 2026. Oil on Canvas. 300mm h x 1215mm w

Fjord Crossing. Oil on Canvas. 150mm x 300mm