Diary From a Cold Island Schmeisserís Works Reflect His Fascination for Antarctica, Travel by Serena Lei J^rg Schmeisserís love for travel is evident in a line from his latest exhibit: ìHe is based in Canberra but often elsewhere.î The artist and printmaker was born in Germany, is currently based in Australia, and has traveled to Cambodia, Japan, the Middle East and India, among other places, for his work. His current exhibit, ìBreaking the Ice,î is a collection of prints, paintings, sketches and even textiles from Schmeisserís visit to Antarctica. The works are currently on display at the Australian Embassy. Schmeisser confesses to an early fascination with Antarctica after having seen Caspar David Friedrichís painting ìDas Eismeer.î He is hardly alone in his desire to visit the uninhabitable continent. The challenge to make the unknown known compels many people. It is often not enough to experience the harsh and foreign landscape: One must also communicate that experience to others. And as an artist and archeological draftsman, Schmeisser is in a unique position to record his journey. The Antarctic Division of the Australian Department for Environment and Heritage arranged for S chmeisser to travel onboard the Aurora Australis icebreaker in 1998. The icebreaker traveled from Hobart, Australia, to the Mawson and Davis stations in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Schmeisserís actual diary and sketches of his journey are featured in the exhibit, including an unfinished drawing of an iceberg, which is sectioned and numbered, presumably for gradations of color to be filled in later, and two versions of another piece, ìTwister,î that show the etching in a raw state and then revised. The first series in the exhibit, ìBig Changes I-VII,î presents a single iceberg as it slowly erodes over seven prints. They set the tone for Schmeisserís exhibitóa dark, blue-black sky, the immense and solitary iceberg in a chaotic sea, the cycle of water from one form to another. Schmeisser recorded the melting iceberg in layers of scribbled etching and blue-gray ink. The works exude a sense of calm in isolation, equally matched by a sense of darkness and turbulence that is the ever-changing force of nature. ìDiary and Icebergsî reveals Schmeisserís draftsman qualities, showing him to be an observant and precise printmaker. The etching documents the layout of different icebergs, with the detail of the shipís killer whale weathervane magnified. Perfectly linear handwriting, presumably journal notes, had to be etched in backward to print correctly. Schmeisser said he wanted to show the ìothernessî of the Antarctic landscape. There is certainly a fantasy element to some of his pieces, a sense of Antarctica as a separate planet altogether. This vision is apparent in ìBefore Dark,î a large piece on four sheets with a single luminescent iceberg glowing in the midst of a darkening sky. The iceberg radiates with an internal lightóit is no longer ice but something eerie, silent and otherworldly. The title of the exhibit, ìBreaking the Ice,î is not only a reference to the icebreaker that took Schmeisser through Antarctica but also to Schmeisserís use of new materials. Much more than prints and sketches, the exhibit also includes paintings and watercolors, as well as a few textiles. The textile art of J^rg Schmeisserís wife, Keiko Amenomori-Schmeisser, was recently on display in the same exhibit space at the Australian Embassy. It is tempting to discern what influence one artist may have had on the other. Certainly J^rgís digital technique and style of overlapping prints is reminiscent of Keikoís centenary banners. Husband and wife also share a common appreciation for materials in their work. Schmeisser explained that he learned a new reverence for the materials and process of art during his post-graduate studies in Japan. He said he has a ìfeelî for printmaking technique and materials, down to the sound of the roller as it moves across the ink. Pieces such as ìTabular Bergî and ìDomeî bring more color into the exhibit. Here, Schmeisser shows us the cool blue underside of an iceberg, which is far larger than what appears above the water. ìIceberg Alleyî and ìLeaving Mawsonî reveal a traffic jam of icebergs similar to an asteroid belt. Viewers can almost imagine the swift current of the water and the unyielding ice that make travel around the icebergs nearly impossible and isolate the already inhospitable continent. ìLandfall 2000î is one of Schmeisserís softer translations of ice. Here, a mountain can be detected in the distance as the terrain recedes into the fog. One of the simplest pieces by Schmeisser is ìI am Leaving,î which is also his most haunting. What is difficult to determine is whether it is Schmeisser who is leaving Antarctica, or the iceberg. A single melting swath of watercolor, nearly blending into the sky and sea, disappears before our eyes. It is a tribute to Schmeisser that he can paint a single subject, a cold and seemingly generic iceberg, and manage to hold our attention. Each iceberg is unique, revealing a new side to the barren landscape. However, I was grateful for the unfinished sketch of a Wedell seal. The animal is the only sign of life among the icebergs. Schmeisser has carefully drawn the face, complete with whiskers and closed eyes, but the body is merely a sketch, ending in a few lines of pencil. In an exhibit of ice and ocean, it is both strange and welcoming to see that this seal, drawn with such roundness and warmth, is actually smiling. ìBreaking the Iceî runs through July 30 at the Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave., NW. For more information, please call (202) 797-3175 or visit www.austemb.org. Serena Lei is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.