Polly Townsend : Antarctic Paintings

April 24 - May 17

Polly Townsend

Antarctic Paintings
In January 2023, Polly Townsend spent five weeks on HMS Protector in Antarctica as artist in residence, a position made possible through the Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute. Given the ship's crow's nest as a studio, and with her own specially developed equipment and techniques to paint on land, Townsend returned with over fifty drawings and paintings from the expedition. The exhibition brings together these works along with studio paintings evoking "Antarctica's seemingly infinite range of personalities".
- Polly Townsend, 1. Blue Crevasse, 2024
'HMS Protector collected me in the Falklands and then we crossed the Drake’s Passage to the Peninsula. From the start, The Royal Navy were wonderful, kind and welcoming, and being with them added another dimension to the whole experience. I was able to get to otherwise remote and inaccessible places. Captain Ingham generously allowed me to use the crow’s nest as an extraordinary studio.

As the highest place on the ship, it had 360-degree views, protected from the weather and was a quiet place to work. With 24-hour daylight and no other responsibilities, I was able to work from early morning until late into the evening. I was also permitted to join all ‘leg stretches’ and landings and these outings were some of the most thrilling experiences of my life. We had incredible encounters with wildlife. '

Polly Townsend - UKAHT In conversation with the artist - read more here
- Polly Townsend, 6. Glacial Overhang, 2023
- Polly Townsend, 7. Encounters, Antarctica, 2023
Watch Polly's film from her time in the Antarctic

Demanding and exhilarating, Polly's five-week residency with the Navy is documented in this stunning film. The artist talks about her reaction to Antartica's breathtaking landscape and the practicalities of painting and drawing in sub-zero conditions and from the high, swaying vantage point of the ship's crow's nest, her studio for the duration of the voyage.
- Polly Townsend, 9. Mass, Antarctica, 2023
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- Polly Townsend, 2. Ice Slice, 2024
- Polly Townsend, 12. Blue, 2024
- Polly Townsend, 15. Growlers, 2024
Polly Townsend: Antarctic Paintings

24 April - 17 May 2024

Mon - Fri 10 - 6pm, John Martin Gallery

38 Albemarle St, W1S 4JG

E-CATALOGUE

All Enquiries & Price list: laura@jmlondon.com

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