Kim Baranowski’s multi-media installation in the Sunroom marks the culmination of an extensive investigation into the ecosystem of the Antarctic Peninsula, facilitated by her National Science Foundation-sponsored expedition to the continent during the 2007-08 austral summer. Frozen Field, a collection of pseudo-historical maps and artifacts, makes use of the romance and mythology associated with Antarctic exploration to illuminate the environmental instability of the region, with a particular focus on climate change.

The walls of the sunroom are hung with detailed geographical maps that mimic the look of historic etchings, lending a sense of authenticity to contemporary information. In the center of the room, two custom-built cabinets house didactic displays, including specimens of animals both real and imagined, and a fictional history of a female stowaway aboard an expedition vessel in the early 20th-century. These artifacts are displayed alongside various other props, such as an old-fashioned postcard carousel containing commemorative souvenirs and a vintage speaker horn amplifying the sounds of glacial melt. In mixing current scientific data, stylistically antiquated historical objects and the fantastical imagery of adventure tales, Baranowski aims to instill a sense of wonder in the viewer. In this way, she utilizes the effect that this little-known continent has upon our imagination, recognizing that, for most of us, this vivid landscape remains a terra incognita.

Kim Baranowski’s work has been included in exhibitions at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY; Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C; The Print Center in Philadelphia, PA; the International Print Center, New York, NY; and the South Street Seaport Museum, New York, NY. Her work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Sculpture and Art Papers, among others. She received her BFA from New Mexico State University and her MFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University.

For more information, see www.kimbaranowski.com.

Frozen Field, 2008 Expedition Documentation Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist

Frozen Field, 2008 Expedition Documentation Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist

Frozen Field, 2008 Mixed media Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist

Frozen Field, 2008 Mixed media Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist

Frozen Field, 2008 Mixed media Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist

Public Programs
September 28, 2pm Meet the Artists. Kim Baranowski and Adam Brent discuss their installations in the Sunroom Project Space.
October 11 and 12, 1–4 pm The Family Art Project: Animal Families of Antarctica. Kim Baranowski helps visitors sculpt a family of creatures from the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Sunroom Project Space series is supported in part by the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation. Support for the Visual Arts Program is provided by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, Target, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts–a state agency. Sustaining support for Wave Hill is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Kim Baranowski’s Frozen Field Project research exhibition is sponsored by The National Science Foundation, The North Face, and Baffin.

The Arts at Wave Hill are sponsored by