A lifelong journey began unexpectedly for a young college student seeking to step outside of his comfort zone and embrace adventure – taking a turn onto the road less travelled. He found his true passion and purpose at the bottom of the world – on the frozen continent of Antarctica. The ice he found there would irrevocably change him and guide his life over the next 60 years.
Journey into the Unkown
1961: From Washington DC, USA to McMurdo, Antarctica and then onto the ice beyond – the journey begins.
The Antarctic landscape is stark and isolating – a singular place that provokes contemplation and profound wonder as the terrain emerges through the interplay of light and shadows. Vast flat plains intermittently punctuated by ancient volcanoes stretching towards the sky or unseen crevasses plunging downward, deep below the ice. Antarctica is a place of beauty and danger – forcing any visitor to exist fully in the present.
The Antarctic Imprint
After months of traversing the monochromatic frozen plains of Antarctica occasionally punctuated by the brown and black of rock – it was a shock to the senses when we exited the field and landed in New Zealand where late spring was on full display. The rest of nature’s color palette sprung suddenly to life with verdant green grass and an explosion of red, yellow, pink and violet wild flowers visible from the window of the C-130 as we arrived. Even today – this visual transmogrification between the contrasts of color remains vivid.
Fleeting Footsteps on the Antarctic Icecap
Like a mandala of ice crystals – a human presence is left on the ice and snow, but only temporarily…the wind and cold will reclaim this moment in time and only the photograph remains.
Volcano on the Ice: Finding Mount Wasilewski
When exploring Antarctica, the vast expanse of the ice cap stretches monotonously towards the vanishing point at the horizon. But sometimes, a towering peak rises majestically above the ice – ancient evidence of the violent volcanic activity that shaped this continent millions of years ago.
Icebreaker SHIRASE: Japan Connection
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Cosmic Connection: Meteorites on Blue Ice
To most terrans, the cosmos manifests it’s presence in the vast expanse of the night sky as stars, comets and constellations. However, if you know where to look on Earth – pieces of the outer space can be found, held in the hand and studied. This cosmic connection exists in Antarctica on the plains of bubbly blue ice where meteorites fell from the sky and landed on our planet… waiting to be discovered.
Sharing Antarctica with the Children
In 1995 Blue Ice International was established to create an educational framework that used Antarctica as the catalyst and would be fueled by programs that embraced the scientific, technological, environmental and cultural aspects of snow and ice as it exists on earth and throughout the solar system.
Nagano Olympics : Extending the student Experience
Blue Ice International and NASA Goddard brought American and Japanese elementary students together on site at Yamanouchi Elementary School and remotely (back in the United States) via the emerging technology of remote learning during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
History of Winter (H.O.W.):
Teacher Enhancment with Snow and Ice
The History of Winter (H.O.W.) was a week long “teacher as scientist” Cryosphere-focused field experience for elementary and secondary science teachers held annually in Lake Placid, NY from 2001 – 2015.
H.O.W. utilized an experiential learning opportunity for teachers to connect firsthand with the same field research techniques utilized for ground validation for NASA sattelite missions. Teachers working alongside scientists are able to experience science inquiry firsthand – a benchmark experience on which they can build an inquiry based learning platform in their own classrooms.
Genesis: Frozen Visions Emerging
Colors emerge from the Antarctic Blue Ice… Thin sections of ice samples exposed to polarized light reveal another realm where color and shape are defined – previously unseen by the naked human eye.
FRIZION Nascence : Shape and Story Appear
With time and practice, Dr. Peter began to observe something deeper within the thin sections of ice. The polarized light revealed shapes that gradually told a story with each unique piece.
Art from Below Zero:
FRIZIONs
The Frozen Visions became FRIZIONs. Each image unique – telling it’s own story with shape and color.
Say hello! iceman@frizion.com