Glacier Receding

Layered blue washes cascade beneath repeating text and a stitched red heart, evoking melting ice and the fragile responsibility of human stewardship.

Cool blue and white washes flow downward across a glasslike surface that reflects the sheen of glacial ice. Along the left edge, the word “Mendenhall” repeats as a vertical poem, losing one letter per line until only “Men” remains. This echo continues faintly beneath the surface while a stitched red heart rests within the composition, its textile threads contrasting against the smooth, icy layers.

The diminishing word mirrors the slow recession of Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, transforming landscape into language. The progression toward “Men” asks an open question about responsibility—what role human action, particularly human industry and decision-making, plays in environmental loss. The stitched heart represents care and urgency, suggesting that preservation requires both awareness and emotional investment. The work balances grief with agency, acknowledging that while no single person controls the outcome, individual choices still participate in the unfolding future.