Mericle selected the images from the work Steppe completed during her residency in Iceland and says:
"In Island Mountain Glacier, Anika Steppe
offers a photographic meditation on the harsh yet beautiful terrain of
Iceland. Shot while on residency throughout the winter months, Steppe
presents us with images of glaciers, domestic spaces, and landscapes—each
photograph rendered with a keen eye for color and executed with quiet
restraint. Throughout the work, she searches for a trace of what the
locals call the huldufólk (“hidden folk”), mythological beings from Icelandic
folklore that are believed to live amongst the glacial rocks. Taken
within this context, we begin to look for clues in the photographs to the
existence of something other. As such, we begin to question our
grasp of the “real,” and recognize the limitations therein."
Anika Steppe talks about her residency and the work she created:
"Some days the wind was so strong there was no
point in trying to go anywhere.
"When the weather was bearable, Iceland seemed
like the most expansive and forever surprising place, yet on the windy days it
couldn’t have seemed smaller. I spent half of my time there searching, and the
other half hiding.
"Being in a country known for its acceptance of
mythical beings, such as the huldufólk (the hidden folk), I felt compelled to
search for traces of another’s existence; for a subtle energy that can’t quite
be placed.
"It wasn’t exactly a search for mystical
creatures prancing around; it became about confronting our limited ability to
understand reality. About allowing myself to not immediately write off
something that is considered outlandish. About earnestly entertaining the
belief that there is something else."
The exhibit will be on display in the New Fiction and North Reading Room areas through the end of March. It was made possible with grant support from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County and the Tomplins County Public Library Foundation.
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