WORKS – Ice by Ellen Alt

Ellen Alt is a mixed media artist whose recent body of work focuses on polar ice. Alt’s pieces exist at the intersection of tactile textures and distant aerial images, drawing much needed attention to these extreme landscapes.

“Polar ice is cold, colourful and stunning. It is also melting away. As I viewed the documentary “Chasing Ice” by James Balog, it was simultaneously riveting and ruinous, gorgeous and ravishing, inspiring and catastrophic. The contradictory feeling of being swept away by beauty while watching devastation is the compelling motivation for this series. My first pieces were based on photographs and other peoples’ encounters with ice. As I continued working, I knew that I had to experience the ice directly. A recent trip to Alaska provided a powerful encounter. The textural beauty was expected, but seeing the ice in context fueled my understanding and motivation. The trip solidified my commitment to this work.” – Ellen Alt