The Secret Language of Ice

As part of her endeavour to capture the essence of water environmentalist artist Elizabeth Ogilvie has produced Out of Ice, a piece of work that blends design, architecture, art and science.

Base of Blackstone glacier, Alaska

Source: Elizabeth Ogilvie.

Base of Blackstone glacier, Alaska

Ogilvie is heavily preoccupied with water in all its forms, an obsession that took root during her childhood on a Scottish island where the sea was a constant presence.

Over her career Ogilvie has expanded the range of media she works in to better accommodate the mercurial and mysterious nature of her subject.

Elizabeth Ogilvie Filming at edge of Greenlandic icecap

Source: Rob Page

Elizabeth Ogilvie Filming at edge of Greenlandic icecap

This latest exhibition is arguably Ogilvie’s most ambitious yet involving film, architectural constructions and light projections.

Ogilvie’s varied use of materials and media allows the artist to fully express the complexities and subtleties of her subject that can be at once fixed and fluid, powerful and threatened.

Filming at Oqaatsut

Source: Jennifer Littlejohn.

Filming at Oqaatsut

For Out of Ice Ogilvie has also conflated her medium with her subject working directly with ice and ice melt to complete this large-scale installation.

Video:

In the Ice Floe

In order to produce work that spans across fields Ogilvie operates in an interdisciplinary fashion that includes extensive practical research. 

From Sermeq Kujalleq glacier

Source: Elizabeth Ogilvie

From Sermeq Kujalleq glacier

It is a testament to the artist’s desire to truly understand her subject that for Out of Ice she spent three years working with Inuit from northern Greenland to gain a comprehensive understanding of ice and its importance. 

From Sermeq Kujalleq glacier

Source: Elizabeth Ogilvie

From Sermeq Kujalleq glacier

Ogilvie draws parallels between the Inuit’s dependence on their understanding of ice and our global need to respect and value one of our most precious natural resources.  

Off Ilulissat Northern Greenland

Source: Elizabeth Ogilvie

Off Ilulissat Northern Greenland

Out Of Ice: The Secret Language of Ice runs from from 17 January – 9 February 2014 at Ambika P3 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1.

Video:

Icemelt

Start the discussionStart the discussion
  • Post a comment

Latest articles