- DVD Film, 5 mins. 2008
Uncertain Futures: Ice Cap
Short Film
Having recently visited Damien Hirst’s exhibition ‘In the darkness their may be light’, at the Serpentine Gallery, I saw that important messages and issues can be conveyed with humour. The viewer is not being ‘preached at’, they are being included but with a delivery that has far greater impact and therefore becomes more memorable. With this in mind I decided I wanted to try and produce a piece of work involving Polar Bears. There are few people in the Western world who are not aware that Polar Bears are an endangered species. Polar bears are large mammals whose plight can match that of man’s. Both are facing a threat to their habitat. The threat to polar bears is so severe that they are facing mass extinction within the next 40 years. Their habitat is simply melting away. A time line has not been given to mankind yet.
One of the most iconic images of polar bears in the UK is that of the logo for Foxes Glacier Mints. I decided to take this image, turn it into an ice sculpture and film it slowly melting into water. Andy Goldsworthy, the land artist, has also been involved in a series of works filming giant snow balls melting in urban city environments. This caused considerable interest from passing commuters making me feel a large polar bear ice statue out side the head offices of a multinational oil conglomerate could have equal impact. Rather ambitious so I went for something a bit smaller.
To view this film go to the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RZUruhmtk
The boat at 0:48 makes me laugh every time. A simple little film with a very strong message, and a sad and sombre ending.
Comment by Jonathan Hill — March 28, 2009 @ 9:31 am
I had to leave another comment! I have just rewatched the film words words words, somehow I had forgotten just how mesmeric and sublime the film was, as you would say it is a “complete triumph!”
Comment by Polly Pocock — May 6, 2009 @ 2:07 pm