thirty two degrees

(above, two pieces from the outdoor installations...ARTICtecture:The Ice Shanty Project.)

Today I went up to the Shelburne Museum to see their current special exhibit 32 degrees The Art of Winter.  I cannot convey in words the delight and enchantment I found in this show. Magical, really. 

My favorites, highlighted here, may allow you to visit a bit of winter from your computer screen... 

You may recall that I am a fan of Snowflake Bentley, and his work was near the front door of the gallery, setting the stage for what was ahead.

Scott Peterman's trio of  Shanties caught my attention due to his remarkable use of negative space in his photos of ice fishing shanties. 

Sonja Hinrichsen's video of snow drawings done by creating snowshoe tracks...ohhh...I watched it twice! Filmed from above by a drone, it captured Sonja working/playing with friends to create enormous patterns in the snow fields of Briancon, France.

Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz created modern day snow globes and paintings filled with bizarre and fascinating snow scenes, inviting the viewer to make up their own stories.

Jacob Kirkegaard's soundtrack of snow melting and trickling, playing in an alcove with benches, created a meditative spot to pause and listen and absorb the sounds of nature.

The remarkable engravings of Asa Cheffetz, (another trio) were also hard to tear myself away from. Small and intricate, his work drew me into the rural landscapes created with fine and exacting lines.

Shelley Jackson's video  snow 2013 was shot in Brooklyn and it is absolutely delightful. An entire short story, where each word is carved in snow, frame by frame--one must relax into the moment to absorb the whole experience.

I wish you had been with me, dearest readers, so that we could have walked quietly around the gallery together and then spilled out into the lobby to compare notes on what we had just seen...