DISPATCHES FROM THE ICE

ON VIEW THIS SEPTEMBER

DISPATCHES FROM THE ICE

A solo exhibition featuring:

Todd Anderson

CLOSING RECEPTION:
November 20th  |  5:30PM - 7:30PM

Show Statement:

On display at Old Main Gallery are a series of new works on paper stemming from my ongoing pursuit of ice. For the last fifteen years I have sought to answer a single question: how can my art practice best frame and address global heating? My answer has been to develop bodies of work that creatively document ecological crises—most often glacial retreat and the ice melt stemming from global heating.

The artworks on display are born from work in the field, taking the form of handmade woodcut prints and archival photographs. All are printed on Japanese washi, which is a type of thin, delicate handmade paper. Consistent throughout the works is the use of on-the-ground, first person compositional perspectives. This is done to help the artworks communicate a photojournalistic quality saying, “this is so” and “what you see is real.” I am a craftsperson at heart constantly in pursuit of subtle textures and colors; details are most carved with the aid of magnifying glasses.



The artworks are situated in a gap between a tumultuous 21st century environmental crisis and emotive, bygone conceptions of a stable natural world. These artworks seek to speak to our contemporary moment and over time play a small role in helping future generations understand the challenges we faced as a people in the early 21st century.