Melting ice creates global warming exhibit

By Tania Cervantes
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the midst of global warming and green awareness, “Blue Ice,” has taken over the walls at the City College Art Gallery in the Visual Arts Building.

The exhibit is part one of a two-part project of a collaboration between artist and City College professor Elsa Marley and geologist William Glassley. With their artwork, they attempt to inspire visitors and also demonstrate the beauty of Greenland’s glaciers.

“The nature of the planet is change, except that this time change is happening faster than ever before,” Marley said, referring to the melting ice caps.

Marley’s abstract-process paintings were created using Chinese paper with mounted silk canvasses.
She used colored ice, which under the sun melted on the silk. The process is a metaphor for glaciers melting due to global warming, Marley said.

Art professor Andrew Leone, who was present at the opening of the exhibit, said he was inspired by Marley’s work.

“When I walked in there I got this feeling,” he said. “There is an endless range of blues, violets and greens. She’s caught the enormity and sense of largeness.”

Fashion merchandising student Bonnie Ho paid close attention to the details and material used in the artwork.

“It is really beautiful, I was wondering how the artist managed to get all of those colors in there,” she said. “It also resembles certain Asian styles.”

“I decided to use the nature of paper and ice in order to make art. I just let it lead me,” Marley said. “I never saw myself as a political artist but its almost inevitable.”

Gallery assistant Cristina Flores has seen a steady flow of visitors coming to see the exhibition.
“A lot of blood and tears went on to put this art up,” she said.