Greenland #52

Artist: Zaria Forman

Title: Greenland #52

Media:  Soft pastel on paper

Dimensions: 45” x 60”

Date: 2012  

Zaria Forman’s mother was a fine art photographer of landscapes and Zaria would accompany her mother to remote landscapes and that is how Zaria’s love for landscapes began. Zaria had formal training at Skidmore College. She states on her website that “Ten of my drawings were also used in the set design for House of Cards.”  

In August of 2012, Zaria led an expedition to Greenland to document the effects climate change has had on icebergs. Zaria stated on Bored Panda magazine that her drawing of icebergs will “ bring awareness, and invite viewers to share the urgency in a hopeful and meaningful way. Art can facilitate a deeper understanding of any crisis, helping us find meaning and optimism in shifting landscapes.”

When I first found Greenland #52 I thought it was a photograph-I was utterly shocked to find out that what I was looking at was a drawing and not a photograph of an Iceberg. One of the reasons I decided to display this photo in my exhibition is because I wanted people to see the magic artists can do (like making a drawing appear like a photograph).  Although I have only seen photographs and drawings of icebergs they are one of my favorite landscapes to look at because each iceberg differs in shape,size, and texture which just fascinates me. NASA states that icebergs are formed when they are “calved” from a glacier. Once the Icebergs melt it releases the freshwater stored and contributes to rising ocean levels. It's sad how an increase of such a beautiful site, such as those of icebergs, may lead to catastrophic events. 

http://www.boredpanda.com/hyper-realistic-pastel-iceberg-drawings-greenland-zaria-forman/

http://www.zariaforman.com/#!greenland/c2067

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/PolarIce/polar_ice2.php