We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands.

Ken Done Ice cliff

oil on linen

122 x 97 cm

We have been lucky enough to have travelled to the four corners of the world but never to the basement. No matter what you have seen before, nothing is quite like the Antarctic. It is almost twice as big as Australia and we are responsible for almost half of it. The landscape is stunning: bold, majestic and a bit frightening. Icebergs of every shape and size float gently in a silver sea, while ice cliffs that tower above lead to craggy mountain peaks. We drifted around in Zodiacs, rugged up to endure the freezing cold. Little boats full of ants.

- Ken Done, 2016