Tompkins County Public Library will launch “A Year of Art” January 9, with after-hours access to “Island Mountain Glacier: Photography by Anika Steppe.”
Curated by Danielle Mericle, “Island Mountain Glacier” showcases
Steppe’s photographic meditations from a winter stay in Iceland. Steppe,
a New York-City-based photographer and Ithaca College alumna, explores--through
her photographs--the poetries and possibilities of Iceland’s harsh, yet
beautiful terrain and searches for a trace of what the Icelandic people refer
to as “huldufólk,” or hidden people.
Steppe explained that her photographs became a type of metaphor
for her stay in Iceland—showcasing the contrast between natural beauty and
uninhabitable tundra, real and mythical.
“When the weather was bearable, Iceland seemed like the most
expansive and forever-surprising place, yet on the windy days, it couldn’t have
seemed smaller,” Steppe said. “Being in a country known for its
acceptance of mythical beings, such as the huldufólk, I felt compelled to
search for traces of another’s existence; for a subtle energy that can’t quite
be placed. It wasn’t exactly a search for mystical creatures prancing around;
it became about confronting our limited ability to understand reality-- about
allowing myself to not immediately write off something that is considered
outlandish--about earnestly entertaining the belief that there is something
else.”
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. during Downtown
Ithaca’s Gallery Night. Both Steppe and Mericle will be available to discuss
the exhibit with event attendees.
After-hours access to the Library during Gallery Night is
available through the BorgWarner Community Room entrance, adjacent to TCAT’s
Green Street bus shelter.
For more information, contact Exhibit Coordinator Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org, (607)
272-4557 extension 232, or visit, http://tcpl-exhibits.blogspot.com/.
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