In May 2023, artists Jim Schantz and Peter Bremers traveled to Vatnajökull in Iceland, the second largest glacier in Europe. Seeing the massive ice formations up close and the signs of climate change they carry inspired the two artists to collaborate on the exhibition “Homage to Glaciers,” a recent exhibition at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Art plays a powerful role in communicating the condition of our changing planet, Lydia Pilcher, a filmmaker and adjunct professor at the Columbia Climate Institute, said in a recent interview: “Art is truly wonderful One thing is to remind us how much we humans are part of the natural world.
Schantz and Bremer’s work does just that. Using two different mediums (glass sculptures and oil paintings), their connections to distant, threatened places provide the viewer with a sense of our place in the world.
Schantz’s perspective covers a broad landscape. The geometric shapes of glaciers and icebergs emerge from the body of water, accompanied by a looming mountain backdrop and hanging clouds – all of which combine to emphasize the massive glacial shapes. Soft shades of blue, white, yellow and purple capture the subtleties of light in the area. Schantz is best known for his landscape paintings of his native Berkshires in western Massachusetts, as well as other locations around the world.
In contrast, the Dutch artist and glass sculptor Brehme paid special attention to bizarre glacial forms. His glass-forming techniques allow him to convey the unique details of the curvature, ripples, and crevices of the glacier’s surface. Different thicknesses of clear glass result in many varying shades of blue. The sculptures range in size from 20 to 40 inches tall, and some weigh more than 100 pounds. Bremer also presented his glass sculptures in “Ice and Water,” a solo exhibition at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, marking a return to the earlier Iceberg series he began decades earlier.
Together the artist’s works provide a broad context and a close focus on the Vatnajokull glacier region in southern Iceland.
In an interview with GlacierHub, Bremer and Schantz discussed their creative process and where they find inspiration.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Specifically, what inspired you to base your art in Vatnajökull, Iceland?
Schantz: Peter had just been there a year before and he suggested visiting places such as Jökulsárlón, a glacier lake at the southern end of Vatnajökull. As the glaciers melted, the lake has been developed since the 1940s, and it is now the deepest lake in Iceland.
Bremers: I’ve been to Vatnajökull three times and each time I can see how it shrinks. I saw that the distance from the sea to the base of the glacier was still very long, but that Glacier Bay was growing into a wider lake.
You created your work after returning home and recounting your shared experiences. How do you think this reflective space affects your art compared to working on-site in Iceland?
Schantz: Once I got home and started working in my studio, it turned into the idea of paying homage to the glacier. Ice calves are glacial monuments; they are temporary and only last a week or two.
It was truly a special experience to be away from the shooting location and to be able to transport yourself in some way and capture the place while working in the studio. Unexpectedly, this inspiration all came from one place, that is the ice lake.
Can you tell us about your experience working with glass?
Bremers: Ice and glass are very similar, yet in stark contrast. Ice loses its shape when heated, whereas heated glass becomes malleable. for kiln casting [creating an object out of glass in a kiln]I started with industrial foam, which is as soft as pine. It allows me to work accurately and relatively quickly.
Then, when the model is ready, a mold is made to hold the glass in place. The term for it is “casting,” but technically you’re not “casting” hot glass. We put cold glass into an open mold, heat it in a kiln, and it takes on the shape of the mold. It needs to cool very slowly, which can take several months. Finally, it is completely sanded and polished.
How would you describe your work and sources of inspiration?
Schantz: There is a sense of unity between our pieces, but the pieces themselves are distinct – and so are our inspirations. For me, that’s Jökulsárlón. For Peter, it was Diamond Beach, a place near the lakeshore where glacier debris returned after being carried out to sea.
Bremers: I transform the beauty of ice into abstract sculptures. I try to express the way ice interacts with light and capture the structure of ice and its melting state.
As you walk around one of the pieces, suddenly the structure changes and looks like a waterfall. The ongoing changes really make this piece synonymous with the changes that are taking place in the glacier.
What message do you hope your work conveys?
Bremers: I sometimes say that as artists we are witnesses: we transform the world into our work. Maybe it’s a sad thought that people have to go to museums and look at glass sculptures of icebergs and glaciers to remind us that we once had them?
Schantz: I was just thinking of the 1850s Hudson River painters. They could see that America was changing, whether they were primarily documenting that or painting beautiful landscapes. They would see a vast landscape with a small factory and smoke on the horizon. This is a warning against human-caused change. This is how we record too. Ultimately, I think, for me, it was an idea that opened up new ways of working and the beauty of painting.
For more information about the exhibition, visit the Berkshire Museum (closed January 5, 2025) or the Chrysler Museum of Art (As of January 19, 2025). Later this year, Schantz and Brehmer will Sandra Ainsley Gallery In Toronto.
