Antarctic captured on canvas

Press, 10 March 1988, Page 39

Antarctic captured on canvas

IBy

CHRISTOPHER MOORE

The Antarctic weather, freezing water-colour paint, and bunny boots were! three 1 challenges faced by the 1987-88 United States National i Science Foundation’s de(signaled artist, Alan Campbell. I While he overcame the (first two factors during a two-month stay on the Ice, the last almost aborted a working visit to the Antarctic ebntinent within minutes of arriving last December.

“I took two steps down the New Zealand Air Force Hercules and landed flat on my back. My welcome to Antarctica was from a strictly horizontal position,”, Mr Campbell said in Christ- ; church after his arrival back in New Zealand.

“Somehow bunny boots have a mind of their own.”

Mr Campbell, a professional artist from Athens, Georgia, recovered his composure to spend eight weeks travelling, sketching,' and observing the Antarctic environment. Some of the results from the visit are included in an exhibition of 3 works now on show at the Canterbury Museum. Others are contained in two sketchbooks, on 150 rolls of film and 10 hours of video coverage. "The period was the most ambitious project of my career. Apart from enjoying a good time, it was certainly no vacation. It took me three times as long to come to terms with the environment and find the time and energy to work through my schedule. One bad day meant three or four lost painting days."

As designated artist, Alan Campbell worked to capture a broad range of subjects rather than an isolated subject. "Away from the wildlife, Antarctica is a totally visual environment. There is nothing tm generate smell. Often tnere is an absolute silence. It is so quiet that you can hear the whisper of blood passing through your ears. But there are problems to working and painting. On one occasion the watercolour paint was freezing on the paper where my shadow fell across it. In another location, the wind was gusting to 40 knots."

The scientific staff at both the American and New Zealand bases were “enthusiastic" about an artist’s working in the region. Alan Campbell will now attempt to translate the images of their scientific projects on to canvas. “One critic recently claimed that my New Zealand exhibition did not address political issues. I believe that my works do show the areas of concern about the Antarctic environment and the human impact on the region. I was certainly not ! told what to paint. “The paintings will also show the tragedy which can happen — including the United States Hercules flight which crashed on the day I arrived,” he said.

One of his long-term projects is to mount an exhibition with the former United Staaates astronaut and professional ’ artist, Alan Beam.

"Alan’s paintings will be about the planets and moons. My . works are about Antarctica. Both places share dangers and will kill you if you let them ...”