Northernmost
The Art Avenue Gallery presents
NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Argentinian photographer Florencia Mazza Ramsay spent years jaunting from one private island to another capturing the latest fashion and automotive trends—but nine months ago, she traded in her Prada heels for something warmer to visit Barrow, Alaska. The trip, which took her thousands of miles away from the desert Southwest, found her in the Antarctic producing thousands of images to document the change in culture, climate and direction of a small yet impactful heritage.
NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON is the premiere exhibition for Ramsay since returning from Alaska last year. After traveling for three months with UTEP graduate students, professors and international scientists, she hopes to share her experiences with the world.
Ramsay’s past portfolios include work for Ralph Lauren, Porsche and Juxtapoz. After some time analyzing life and its voices, Ramsay delved into documentaries that express an expansive collection of life, its challenges and changes. Her black and white digital images captured life’s experiences with the residents of this deeply isolated area and provide an artists journey into the climate changes they endure.
“This is a powerful presentation of images Ramsay compiled from her time in Barrow. I couldn’t think of a better time to display her work, allowing El Pasoans a glimpse of life beyond our own borders, conceptualizing how others live on a border thousands of miles away which contribute to the isolation of those lines,” said gallery owner, Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek.
“I had to leave everything in El Paso to go to the middle of nowhere. It’s the complete opposite of what life is in El Paso—there is a lot of sacrifice to gain this knowledge. My main purpose was to document scientific effort and the way of life of the local culture and how they react with a very threated environment,” said Ramsay.
The premier of Ramsay’s exhibit serves as a platform for future documentaries in the region. NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON will kick off Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. and continue through May 5, 2016. A workshop led by the artist will be revealed during the opening exhibition.
The Art Avenue Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday and Saturday by appointment only, at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. For additional information or questions, please email info@theartave.com or call 915.213.4318.
