Arts fest: Peter Adams experiences human impact on Arctic
Living aboard a ship in the high arctic with 30 other people was not just inspiring and visually stunning, according to artist Peter Adams, it was an interesting social experience. Last October, Adams skipped the final day of the Creemore Festival of the Arts to travel to Longyearbyen in the Svalbard Archipelago of Norway for a two-week residency aboard a specially outfitted Barquentine sailing vessel.
The Arctic Circle residency is operated by a not-for-profit organization, launched in 2009, and is described as a nexus where art intersects science, architecture, education and activism. Adams was originally slated to go in the spring of 2020, but the pandemic and an illness in the family delayed his departure until last fall.
Adams says the group was made up of artistic intellectuals from diverse backgrounds.
“Some people were writing every day. Some were taking pictures. Others were doing experimental work in snow and ice,” said Adams.
The common thread, he says, was an interest in and concern about climate change.
They went ashore every day accompanied by armed guards to protect against polar bears. He describes the landscapes as barren, and largely free of human impact.
“Occasionally we would come upon a trapper’s cabin that had been abandoned for 60 years,” said Adams. “These places were quite remote, at 74-80 degrees latitude.”
On daily shore excursions, the group was accompanied by local guides.
“They were remarkably accomplished, interesting characters,” said Adams. “They could talk knowledgeably about the history and geography of the area. The guides told us that we were visiting places which would previously have been inaccessible in the fall, highlighting the impact of climate change.”
He completed a few small pieces on site, but was limited by the space restrictions of living on a ship and the fact that it was quite cold.
Adams has been working on larger pieces inspired by his Arctic residency for the past few months. They will be shown for the first time at Gallery Lagom during this year’s Creemore Festival of the Arts. The new works feature renderings of barren landscapes in an icy palette of blues and greys, embellished with “graffiti” which represents the human impact on the Arctic. A mini show in the back room will feature more familiar local landscapes accompanied by palettes cleverly displayed in i-Pad boxes.
Adams describes the Arctic experience as incredibly rewarding and stimulating, but says it’s too soon to know how it may have impacted him as an artist. He says he needs to step back and reflect on what he wants to do next.
- The show at Gallery Lagom, 142 Mill St., will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5 and 6 with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4.
