Editorial
For the Summer 2008 edition of Polar Worlds we are focussing
on art; that is, European artists who have been inspired by the polar
regions.
I first met Julian Marshall at the Oates Museum in Selbourne where
she was exhibiting her work on Svalbard and Greenland. She has a unique
style, works in different mediums and uses canvasses of varying sizes,
so there was plenty to absorb in her solo show.
Joël Tettamanti's stunning photography lept out at me whilst I
was browsing through a copy of Blueprint architectural magazine.
A double-page spread of a town in Greenland, every house in the far
distance as sharply in focus as those in the foreground. I just had
to see more.
It was whilst I was manning the stand at Bonhams for the Antarctic
Paintings of Edward Seago exhibition, organised by the Scott Polar
Research Institute, that I met Paul Rodhouse. He commented knowledgably
about both the subject matter and the paintings, and I asked if he painted
too. Yes, he does, and his inspiration comes from the time he spends
working in Antarctica as a scientist for the British Antarctic Survey.
Nicola Rose and Clyde Holmes were introduced to my the the Red Biddy
Gallery in Shalford, Surrey. The rugged terrain of Iceland gripped Nicola's
imagination, which she interprets through oils in vibrant colours and
bold brush strokes - even tackling the challenge of a glacier in the
rain!
For Clyde Holmes it was the unlikely combination of lakes in Wales
and Finland that inspired him to produce a body of work entitled Watermarks.
Clyde had a special affinity with nature, evident in his beautiful paintings.
Sadly he passed away during the compiling of his article, and I am grateful
to his family for working with me to get it finished.
I would like to thank all the artists here for kindly contributing
to this special edition of Polar Worlds. It has been very exciting
putting this edition together! Contact details for each artist are on
their respective pages, and in addition I will, of course, be happy
to liaise on behalf of any reader interested in their work.
An announcement I am delighted to make is the publication of Deb:
Geographer, Scientist, Antarctic Explorer, the biography of Frank
Debenham. He was one of the youngest members of Scott's last expedition
and the founder of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.
This is an interesting and entertaining book that anyone connected with
the polar world will want to have on their bookshelf - follow the link
below for full details and how to purchase.
Solveig Gardner Servian
FRAI, FRGS
Editor
New for this edition:
Julian Marshall - Drawn to the Arctic
Joël Tettamanti - Greenland Observed
Paul Rodhouse - Science and Art
Nicola Rose - Dramatic Inspiration in Iceland
Clyde Holmes - Finnish Connections
Deb:
Geographer, Scientist, Antarctic Explorer