In May 2023, artists Jim Schantz and Peter Bremers explored Iceland's Vatnajökull glacier, leading to their collaborative exhibition "Homage to the Glacier" at the Berkshire Museum. Their artworks reflect dimensional perspectives of glaciers—Schantz through landscape oil paintings and Bremers using intricate glass sculptures. Lydia Pilcher emphasized art's role in illustrating our relationship with nature. Schantz captures vast landscapes, while Bremers intricately details glacial forms, showcasing the beauty and threats facing these natural wonders—inviting viewers to reflect on their place in the world amid climate change.
Art has a powerful role in conveying the state of our changing planet, as Lydia Pilcher, a filmmaker and adjunct professor at the Columbia Climate School, said in a recent interview: "One of the things that art does really beautifully is to remind us how much we as humans are a part of the natural world."
Schantz's perspective encompasses a vast landscape. The geometric forms of the glaciers and icebergs emerge from a body of water, accompanied by looming mountain backdrops and overhanging clouds—all of which coalesce to emphasize the massive glacial forms.
Bremers, a Dutch artist and glass sculptor, focuses specifically on singular glacial forms. His glass shaping technique allows him to convey distinct details of the glacial surfaces with curvatures, ripples and crevices.
The varying thickness of the transparent glass results in many changing shades of blue. The sculptures range in size from 20 to 40 inches high—with some weighing over 100 pounds.
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