I will admit that I have been pretty adventurous in these last 2 winter months. Part is being stir crazy from COVID isolation. Part is again, my curiosity and wanting to see what is out there. That does not mean that it has always been comfortable and convenient. Our MN Winter has proved to be its predictable challenge with the usual frigid temps. There have been a few days that the car engine just refuses to turn over - and I wish I was able to do the same in bed.
In the spirit of our present Great Northern Festival, I wanted to celebrate something even more massive in terms of art meeting nature. I know our festival is showcasing ways that art and winter Mother Nature can intersect. But nothing on this large of a scale.
I introduce you to the work of Simon Beck. He uses large fields and mountains as his canvas. And snowshoes as his paintbrush. With these two simple tools, he makes a labyrinth of winter art that is magnificent and sadly, temporary as well. I find it not surprising that he is both an engineer and map cartographer by trade. This makes logical sense as you see the scope of his works.
His process begins with computer drawings that are created in basic contrasts of light and dark with texturing. Once on site after scouting his open location, he frames out a grid of straight lines using a compass to navigate. He states that finding the shape of his curves is purely by instinct, and that has gotten better over time. Important next, is step size and being well aware of distances between points. Lastly, it is creating density and depth by retracing steps in certain areas to make the tracks deeper and darker.
He is a one-man show. There is not some small crew that is working with him on these. He also speaks that he needs to be both an artist and an athlete to invest the hours of manpower needed to create each one step by step. Thanks to drone photos, it is the best way to fully appreciate the art; seeing them from ground level does not allow the viewer to really receive the full impact. Which makes it even more astounding that he is able to create these panoramas without perspective. Over the last decade, he has worked residencies around the globe to create over 200 art installations. We need to get him here for our Winter Carnival! Enjoy the beauty of Simon Beck and his winter wonderlands.
He has several time lapse videos if you search YouTube.
Collection of Simon Beck snow works
Simon Beck Snow Dragon: Siberia, Russia
