Bridget's blog
From South Georgia Museum
Since I received a bursary to visit South Georgia from the Arts Trust for Scotland in March 2008 I have checked this blog regularly, keeping up to date with the museum and getting clues to what it might be like living on an Antarctic Island. I am still finding it hard to believe that I am now here at King Edward Cove, working in Grytviken as the new museum assistant and adding my own update to the blog at the end of my first week.
As an artist I became interested in South Georgia through a project researching the history of an Edinburgh property, which was once the home of Ted Salvesen, who managed the Christian Salvesen and Co whaling company operating out of Leith, Edinburgh. Through my work and research I found out about Leith Harbour, South Georgia and my fascination with the Island and its whaling history grew from here. Over the last year my artwork has been inspired by the histories and images of this Antarctic Isle and I still cannot believe that for the next four and a half months I can call this amazing place home and experience life here firsthand.
After a long and epic journey, by plane from Brize Norton to the Falkland Islands, then with six rough and stormy days on the Fisheries Patrol Vessel ‘Pharos’ I arrived at King Edward Cove on Monday 7th of September to bright sunshine and blue skies over a snow covered landscape. The beauty of the island is more breathtaking than I could ever have imagined and each day just seems to get better and better. Everyday more wildlife arrives and as the snow melts traces of the landscape and the whaling station are slowly starting to appear.
My first week has been brilliant and I am settling into life here and enjoying every minute. Everyone has been so welcoming and I just know that come January I won’t want to leave. Ainslie and I have been busy opening up (and warming up!) the museum and transporting our new shop stock over the cove and through the snow by boat and sledge - luckily we had good weather and some game volunteers from the ‘Pharos’ to help. I have also had some time to get out and explore a little bit of the area with my first uphill skiing on Monday. The steep and exhausting climb up to the repeater was definitely worth it for the spectacular views from the top and the perfect conditions for the ski back down.
I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived here and so far it has been better than I ever could have imagined. The scenery, history and day to day life are all inspiring me to get started on some new research, artworks and drawings and I know that that the next four months are going to be a very productive and exciting time and an amazing experience.
Bridget