The Lewis Glacier, Mt. Kenya, 1963 (A) Possibly 2014 - 2015

Here's an image made in 1963 by Simon Norfolk, of the Lewis Glacier on Mt. Kenya. At first glance, the scene feels like a photograph of a stage set or a film backdrop, it's so unreal. Norfolk is playing with light. The artificial light of the building, and the line of fire zig-zagging across the image plane, set against the coldness of the glacier, has an unsettling effect. I can only imagine what it was like to create this artwork. It's a carefully constructed image, no doubt meticulously planned to capture a precise moment. The artist seems to play with the sublime, setting fire against ice, destruction against creation, an embrace of uncertainty. The image is a commentary on change. It's like Norfolk is saying that everything is impermanent. It's a nod to artists like Turner who came before him, playing with the grand scale of nature.