Arctic 70n 60e
70°N, 60°E · Gerhard Richter · 2026-04-23
Gerhard Richter 2026-04-23 Gerhard Richter 2026
Creative Rationale
Over the remote Arctic Ocean north of the Ob River estuary in Siberia, where sea ice meets the harsh polar atmosphere, extreme weather conditions create a dramatic visual narrative. The significant temperature anomaly of 19.2K warmer than normal suggests an unusual warm air intrusion into this frozen realm, while the easterly winds at 6.4 m/s and steep pressure gradient drive the compositional flow from left to right across the canvas. The high humidity and moderate pressure create layers of atmospheric complexity that translate into Richter's characteristic paint-dragging technique, with warm underlying colors bleeding through cooler surface layers to represent this striking temperature anomaly.
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Attribution: James Tannahill / art.jamestannahill.com. No commercial use or derivatives without permission.