Sunday, March 27, 2011

Coldfire/Kilamanjaro

Georgia Papageorge, Kilimanjaro – Southern Glaciers, 1898, 2010, mixed media on canvas, with inkjet print taken from the earliest known photograph of the glaciers, and lines of poured ash from the ash cone of Kilimanjaro itself, 
230 x 140 cm

sourced from:
Coldfire/Kilamanjaro  by Georgia Papageorge, a South African artist.
The red lines are taken from temperature graphs

"The mountain that came to be known as Kilima 'njaro' (Mountain of Greatness) is the tallest freestanding volcanic mountain in the world, with a unique, self-contained ecological system that makes it an ideal barometer of climate change. Papageorge's renderings of Kilimanjaro, in which she applies vertical striations of poured volcanic ash - running tears for an irreparable loss - transform it into an iconic African symbol of mourning."

"The geological and sociological sense of schism or rift within Africa and indeed the rest of the world, increasingly asserted itself in the artist's consciousness. She explores this as a key metaphor in her art. Eventful journeys undertaken from Pretoria up the Great East African Rift Valley to Tanzania and back in 2006 and 2007, provided Papageorge with such shocking fresh evidence of the effects of climate change as well as the highly illegal and dangerous charcoal trade that is carried out in most Central African countries, that her focus shifted from earlier ideas about transcendence, to the urgent matter of documentation."

Having just found this I feel quite inspired. This artist has taken a first hand experience of climate change/loss/a sublime landscape/tangible location(ash), and transmuted it into an art experience which provokes an emotional response in a viewer. I'm sure over time looking at the image I'll be less convinced - I think that there is definite potential to expand on this kind of juxtaposition - especially given the plethora of scientific imagery and historical photography I have access to - it would be also nice to look at current imagery potentially - lots to bounce off - finally thinking in (visual) art terms.

Also:


List of artists who use science!!!



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