Endurance: Polar Bears

The third scene of Endurance takes the viewer to the Arctic,where a polar bear and her cub roam the desolate landscape. The sheer expanse of the scene emphasises the drama of the lingering night sky – complete with glimpses of the Milky Way and the Aurora Borealis. Eventually, when the sun rises, a Sahara-like warmth of fiery light blazes across the landscape, awakening the bears. If the atmospheric conditions are right, then an Arctic mirage can be seen in the distance. As with all the scenes of Endurance, there are multiple layers of symbolism and hidden forms that may be discovered over time. For example, if the viewer enters a dreamlike gaze across the ocean in this third scene, then recognisable forms – the shapes of the continental land masses – will start to appear in the floating ice pieces.