Among the Polar Ice
Exhibition Feature
Spotlight on Artists
James Morrison & Frances Walker
7 September 2019 — 8 March 2020
The McManus, Dundee
We’d like to draw your attention to the stunning exhibition Among the Polar Ice. The most fragile landscapes on Earth are the subject of this new display at The McManus (Dundee, Scotland), bringing together contemporary & historic works featuring our polar regions. The breathtaking paintings on show offer a visual record of the world’s diminishing ice caps & remind us all that we have a role to play in their survival.
Antarctic Landscape Frances Walker
Among the Polar Ice brings together contemporary and historic works by artists who have experienced life on the ice. In this time of climate crisis, these artworks remind us of the importance of these remote landscapes to our very fabric of life. Indeed, the North and South Pole regions are already dictating our futures. The McManus exhibition showcases a collection of polar artworks spanning 200 years, but at its heart are two major sets of paintings by leading Scottish artists Frances Walker and James Morrison.
It is these two inspirational painters that we’ll focus on in this post. Both Morrison and Walker have, throughout their long careers, consistently striven to present paintings of depth, through gestural brushwork and visceral handling of paint. The result is that their works let us in – their clarity of vision welcomes the viewer, no matter the scale. These are painters for our times; it is a gratifying experience to behold their polar works. Walker’s Antarctic Suite originated from a trip to the South Pole, while Morrison’s series describes the North.
Late Summer, Antarctica Frances Walker
Morrison’s Arctic paintings capture the glacial landscape of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Walker’s describe the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetlands, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands.
Berg, Otto Fiord XI James Morrison
What is both surprising and pleasing is that – from what we understand – the two painters generated these bodies of works based on single voyages: Morrison in 1992 and Walker in 2007. Both artists created preliminary works on location (Morrison is said to have worked on the ice, battling weather and temperature) and then brought their sets to completion once home in the studio; inspired by what they experienced then, using documentation as reference (in Morrison’s case, over several years). This is surprising, because each painting, by both artists bear the hallmarks of works painted from life: details of freshly broken ice and scattered ice-floe, of deep reflections set against sheer cut ice-sheets, of changing skies over expansive horizons. It’s clear that these visits had a profound effect on each artist. Indeed, Walker is said to have described her Antarctic works as the finest of her career.
What is pleasing, is that the artists went only once. Many of us who look to our ice-covered regions for creative inspiration will never go. This is only right, for, we cannot afford cultural tourism in these locations. We must rely on the strength of representation brought back to us. And in the work of these two artists, we are truly rewarded.
These are graceful works – which is no mean feat considering the harsh conditions each would have endured whilst researching. Yet, it is difficult to regard these works today through a lens unmarked by the climate crisis. We marvel at the boldness of these paintings, but a sense of loss and nostalgia hangs in the air. One reviewer described these as “timeless paintings”, but Morrison’s bergs in the Otto Fiord (below) will now be long gone.
Bergs, Otto Fiord III James Morrison
The McManus exhibition also highlights Dundee’s long history of polar exploration. Works by William Burn Murdoch, who accompanied William Spiers Bruce on an 1892 Arctic expedition are included alongside photographic slides, drawings & watercolour sketches.
Commentary
“During this year, when issues of global warming have never seemed so urgent, these artworks remind us of the importance of these remote landscapes to our very fabric of life.” — Sinclair Aitken
“Culture has the power to increase awareness and understanding of major issues facing the world today, and none are greater than climate change … we all have a part to play in combatting this global challenge and I hope this exhibition helps to inspire and mobilise change.” — Fiona Hyslop
“Something that’s very on trend at the moment in glacier science is to use archive photos, documents, and even paintings, to understand how landscapes and climate have evolved. Often, these are the only records we have of the recent past (last 100 years or so) before the dawn of satellite imagery. This can represent essential context for today’s climate situation … these spectacular paintings offer a visual record of the world’s diminishing ice caps and remind us all that we have a role to play in their survival.” — Simon Cook
Images © The Artists | Supplied by the McManus
