At the edge of Longyearbyen town there are polar bear warning signs, alerting you to the fact that, beyond this point, you need to carry polar bear protection. This means a flare gun to frighten the bear away, and a rifle for worst-case scenarios – well, definitely worst-case for the bear.
Snow mobiles in the background are randomly parked on forklift palettes, keeping them off the rocky ground, waiting for the return of winter snows.
The arctic landscape of Svalbard – early September and there is no snow...
In the lead up to arriving in Svalbard, in the arctic, there was a great attempt to keep expectations to a minimum. Why travel somewhere if you ‘know’ what it is already like…? But of course, even with the best intentions, there are some assumptions and expectations…
What I wasn’t expecting was the arctic landscape to be awash with orange and green…
If you absolutely hate being cold, but you absolutely love freezing landscapes, which location would you choose to apply for an artist’s residency? Warm sandy beach, or a majestic arctic landscape that is 9/10s of the way to the North Pole.
There’s no question really.
Discovering the artist residency with the Spitsbergen Artists Center in Svalbard was the perfect combination of location and opportunity. [Thank you Elizabeth for accepting the submission.]
The 10 week residency offers the amazing opportunity to take time, absorb, reflect and watch the changing light. To illustrate, sketch, photograph and document the arctic from a personal perspective. It will be a combination of art and research. Exploring the landscape and meeting scientists, artists, writers, researchers and the people of Svalbard.
The residency allows the space to meet and learn how the people of Svalbard live and feel about their home and what is happening there with climate change – and what they think about the quirk of being outnumbered by polar bears…
Everything is crossed, although there is a slight suspicion the sighting of an isbjørn will come down to a lot of luck. [Please help in the quest of spotting a polar bear, from a distance of course, by employing the scientifically proven technique of crossing your fingers for us.]
There is great anticipation of being immersed in this stunning location. Experiencing the details, sights, smells and sounds, visiting vast landscapes, and discovering the character and people of Svalbard. To see, explore and learn, then share these experiences.
The countdown has begun and we are weeks away from landing. Is anyone sure on the correct spelling of ‘skwwwweeeeeeeeee!!!’?
Nybyen and glaciers, Svalbard. Photo: iStock