Maggie Jarman The Land of Ice and Fire: Less Ice, More Fire?
Shouldn’t that be the other way round? Usually it is: eruptions basally melt a volcano’s icecap, resulting in dramatic floods. But Iceland’s landscape faces uncharted changes as geology, geomorphology and warming climate interact. In 2014, Ok was its first glacier declared dead; the others retreat rapidly – all is definitely not ok. Less ice on volcanoes means less compression of magma sources beneath, meaning more eruptive activity (see detail on quilt reverse). Three photographs are fragmented – an outlet glacier on Katla, black beach near Vik, Reykjavik’s roofscape – symbolising future disruption. Rising sea levels could redraw Reykjavik’s map.
Appropriate batiks and hand-painted fabrics, in three sections – on right, glaciers at top, through melting ice to black basalt sand beaches; left side, inspired by lava flows that began in March 2021 at Fagradalsfjall, watched via webcams and YouTube. Original Iceland photographs printed on inkjet-ready cotton poplin, bonded appliqué, fusible batting. Machine quilted, some hand stitching, mainly variegated threads. Backed with an African batik with colours and texture reminiscent of Iceland’s landscape, greywhite lichen, yellowy-green moss over hummocky lava fields and black glacial outwash plains.
