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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Linde Ivimey

Born: 1965, Sydney
Works: Sydney

Linde Ivimey. Video length: 6 minutes

Artist statement

In 2011 I accompanied my dear friend Zoe Davis to the Antarctic, on a voyage to mark something quite special: the centenary of Sir Douglas Mawson’s historic and tragic expedition to the ice continent.  Along with a small group of Australian and New Zealand passengers, our ship, Orion, would – over the course of a few weeks – take us out of Hobart and down to Antarctica.

It was quite marvellous! As I sat making sculptures in our cabin, Zoe would read to me about the explorers and life on the various stations. We met the other passengers, including relatives of some of the original explorers retracing their grandfathers’ steps, scientists, historians and field experts. It really was an historic trip – an Antarctic expedition, with the immediate reference point of the inhospitable landscape to remind us of the continent’s exciting yet sombre history.

Orion carried important cargo in its hull, serving as one of the fanciest commuter vessels for park rangers, tradies and Australian Antarctic Division scientists working on the various stations in the region. At one point we picked up four scientists returning from their research; I was fascinated to meet and get to know them. They were returning from the Antarctic, having made a fundamental scientific breakthrough concerning the cushion sponge and how it copes with climate change in the region.

And now, having been given the opportunity to consider my Antarctic work again for So Fine, it is a pleasure to address and acknowledge these passionate scientists and their research. There is Kate Kiefer, Marilyn Ball, Dana Bergstrom and Jack Egerton; I have given each of them the general attributes of an Antarctic creature, while I have rendered Zoe and myself smaller, faceless and playful. It’s amazing that 100 years ago it was considered ‘self-evident’ that the Antarctic was no place for women; we weren’t allowed on the ice, whether for research or leisure or to satisfy a sense of adventure. Look at us now!

Video transcript

5 portraits

1 Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018. 2 Dana Bergstrom, Penguin, 2018. 3 Jack Egerton, Leopard Seal, 2018. 4 Kate Kiefer, Killer Whale, 2018. All by Linde Ivimey.

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Linde Ivimey

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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