Northern Extremes
Talent1 Productions – Mission Statement
Steam Whistle Brewing hosted a joint exhibition to highlight the works of the 25 Artist Group Arctic Quest and photographer Martin Franchi. Featuring a mixture of romantic landscape paintings and raw photographic records of Arctic settlement, these artists combine to convey sharply contrasting perspectives of our country's North.
Arctic Quest
In July 2006, twenty-five artists marked the 100th anniversary of Amundsen's 1906 navigation through the Northwest Passage with a twelve-day journey of their own, visiting remote Arctic communities to paint and distribute art supplies. Having returned, they are now participating in an ambitious program of exhibitions, coinciding with International Polar Year. These artists have created a culturally and historically important body of artwork. As evidence of Climate Change continues to affect the Arctic, Northern communities, and us all, artists will continue to express their concerns and share with others, on canvas, paper and film. Artists to include Bob Amirault, Kim Atkins, Anthony Batten, Heidi Burkhardt, RoseMarie Condon, Paul Gauthier, Kathy Haycock, Sandra Henderson, John Joy, Ana Jurpik, Jack Koca, Margaret Ludwig, Linda Mackey, Rhonda McDonald, Karole H. Pittman, John Pryce, Val Russell, Brigitte Schreyer, Gerold Sevier, Maurice Snelgrove, Lynn Soehner, Andrew Sookrah, Mary Wagler, W. David Ward. More about this group can be seen here.
Martin Franchi
Franchi is an explorer, drawn to places that others overlook. His journey to Iqaluit let him photograph the familiar and commonplace but found it changed simply by being the Arctic. From a stop sign in two languages to infrastructure running above ground due to permafrost, industry, rocks, coloured houses, big blue skies with wispy clouds, and a bleak landscape when it became overcast; Franchi finds it fascinating to explore a new environment and capture on film what he finds. More about Martin here.
