Jillian McDonald

In October 2017 Co-chair and Professor of Art Jillian McDonald sailed through international waters off the coast of Norway, ten degrees from the North Pole in Svalbard, to shoot footage for her new video piece titled Freeze. She was part of an expedition with The Arctic Circle, an international artist residency program that supports work that intersects science, architecture, education, and activism. Integrating live video, digital animation, and green-screen effects, McDonald’s goal with Freeze is to convey a sense of isolation, fear, and remoteness in contrast to the beautiful arctic landscape imagery. The experience allowed McDonald to present a unique look at a place unseen by the general population, and she returned to the classroom with stories, new techniques, and an appreciation of the environment to share with her students.

View photos from McDonald’s trip in the interactive gallery below.

Jillian McDonald’s arctic circle journey was originally profiled in the Winter 2018 Dyson Digital Digest. Visit the Dyson College website to read the article.