Making art in Antarctica: Natalie LeBleu makes mosaics from repurposed found objects
Published 9:12 am Thursday, July 20, 2023
Natalie LeBleu stays bundled up in the freezing temperatures.
Natalie LeBleu stays bundled up in the freezing temperatures.
Natalie LeBleu waves from a machine called the Pisten Bully in Antarctica.
“Penguin and Fish” by Natalie LeBleu
“Penguin Made of Stone” by Natalie LeBleu
Natalie LeBleu will be bringing the beauty of Antarctica and ingenuity to the Historic City Hall with her exhibition “Mosaics: An Exploration of Possibility” this Friday.
The 19 pieces in the collection reflect on the time she has spent working at McMurdo Station in Antarctica as the winter power and water supervisor. This is her second year working on the frozen continent, and she will be there until October.
Her time there has heavily influenced her art. With limited resources (and high shipping costs for art supplies), she turned to “station trash” and “junk” to craft vibrant mosaics of the beautiful scenery and animals surrounding her.
Finding importance in junk is a good habit for anyone, but LeBleu said that in Antarctica repurposing found objects is especially beneficial, financially and ecologically.
“With limited resources, it is good practice to make use of everything because every scrap of trash here is shipped back to the United States at great cost. Also, when I think of the Antarctic Treaty which protects this place from industry and abuse, I feel I have an obligation to do whatever I can to act in a resourceful manner.”
It might be cold in the Antarctic, but the community at McMurdo Station has been more than warm. They have supported LeBleu in her art by providing her with materials and even more inspiration.
“I would come back to my room after work and find items propped up against my door, people were bringing me empty liquor bottles, and a co-worker made me a tool to break glass.”
The kindness of her peers have shown her that there is not only beauty in found objects, but also in the way communities thrive, no matter the environment.
Mosaics are LeBleu’s main form of art. She began working with them in 2015, and is completely self-taught.
“I knew I wasn’t particularly good at drawing or painting, so one day I said ‘I am going to be a mosaic artist!’ and a week later my first mosaic was complete.”
Her work inherently expresses the concept of possibility.
“I ask myself, is it possible to take a broken plate from the station galley and make a fish skeleton? Yes! Can I also make a massive penguin skeleton made of broken plates diving down through the water made of broken Bombay Sapphire Gin bottles in an effort to catch this fish skeleton? Yes! And I did.”
She hopes that audiences will see the mosaics and realize that they can be artists too, even with no prior experience.
“Anything is possible with a wild and colorful imagination.”
At the very least, she wants them to feel joy while viewing the exhibit. “I make fun, colorful, whimsical mosaics that hopefully bring smiles and the realization that in art anything is possible.”
Her favorite piece in the collection is a mannequin that she decked out with found objects.
“I remember buying the mannequin on eBay, asking myself if it was possible to do this and it be a successful project. I would spend up to 12 hours a day, up to my elbows in silicone and grout and some modicum of doubt, and in the end it turned out more unique then I imagined.”
“Mosaics: An Exploration of Possibility” will be on display at the Historic City Hall from July 21 through September 23 on the second floor of the gallery.
