Artist Statement for "Ice Drawings"
For many years, I have wanted to combine my interests in figure skating and art. In February of 2008, I was discussing this with a friend, the musician David Amrein. He suggested I try putting ink into the grooves of the ice and making a print of the skating marks. I found that the ink froze too quickly to make a print. After giving it some more thought, I decided I would try making a rubbing with graphite. After I do a spin or a jump, I find that marking on the ice and make a rubbing of the image left in the ice. I then take this same piece of paper to my studio and work it up into a finished drawing. I've discovered that the various kinds of spins and jump take-offs make very different, very artistic gestures, and by darkening the negative spaces, one can see several layers of ice skaters' markings. Some drawings focus on a single spin or jump take-off, such as the salchow or loop jump. Other drawings feature several ice markings, put together as a kind of composite.
- Elizabeth Meyer
