An almost capacity crowd attended the first Friends of Fryer event for 2013, "Antarctica: Bravery in the landscape" last week.

The panel discussion, hosted in conjunction with the UQ Art Museum, focused on the artwork of Linde Ivimey. In particular, her sculptures of ice warrior figures, which are a striking feature of the Art Museum's current exhibition "If Pain Persists… Linde Ivimey Sculpture".

Linde Ivimey shared her first hand experiences of visiting the Antarctic to take part in celebrations marking the 100th Anniversary of Sir Douglas Mawson's expedition. She also provided a valuable insight into her working life as an artist, describing how she draws inspiration from items as diverse as the remains of a family meal to Mawson's experiences.

Exhibition curator Louise Martin-Chew talked about her journey writing about Linde's work and inspirations in conjunction with creating the exhibition at the UQ Art Museum. Dr Sylvie Shaw, as chair of the discussion, also highlighted the continuing cultural influence of the Antarctic landscape and the mythology surrounding Mawson's expedition.

In addition, several Mawson-related items from the Fryer Library collection were on display. This included items from the papers of Alf Howard, a member of Douglas Mawson's 1929-1931 expedition to Antarctica.

The exhibition If Pain Persists: Linde Ivimey Sculpture curated by Louise Martin-Chew continues until 24 March. Find out more at www.artmuseum.uq.edu.au.

Fryer Library manager Laurie McNeice, curator Louise Martin-Chew, and artist Linde Ivimey.