ABSTRACT
“Antarctica, Ice, and Photography” is an introduction to contemporary photography about Antarctica. It begins with an explanation of the importance of this continent for the planet's health and the impact and consequences of global warming. The primary human activity in Antarctica is scientific research. This context has influenced the role of photography both historically and currently. The chapter discusses the different purposes of photography—for scientific endeavor and for artistic ends—and where they intersect. Both modes of investigation are generative, enriching conversations about Antarctica in this time of climate change. Three contemporary artists' photographs are considered. Megan Jenkinson's series Certain Islands surfaces the instability of observed reality, looking to islands that do not exist but that have appeared on maps. Over the Horizon, by Jean Brundrit, is photographed through an ice lens, highlighting the precariousness of a melting world. Andrea Juan's photographed sculptural installations, from New Species, use scientific research of newly recorded species discovered after the collapse of the Larsen Ice Shelf as a point of departure for her imagined forms. Art contributes to diversifying perceptions of Antarctica and to a global conversation that affects the future of the entire planet.
