Published on : 04/02/2021 – 02:56Modified : 04/02/2021 – 02:54
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Ottawa (AFP)
Huge murals drawn in snow-covered fields and lakes in Ontario have recently caught the attention of internet users: these works were created with snowshoes by a Canadian retiree who was seeking to escape confinement, he said. told AFP on Wednesday.
Kim Asmussen, a former school principal, came up with the idea for these giant works of art last year: while researching snow sculptures, he discovered the monumental “snow art” creations with snowshoes by artist Simon Beck in Banff Park (Western Canada).
“I thought to myself, maybe I can do the same,” recalls Asmussen, 62, happy to have found a way to balance mental and physical activity during the pandemic.
The exercise requires the “because once you’ve made a trail in the snow, you can’t erase it”.
“I start by drawing a shape – a hexagon, a square or a triangle – then I draw lines or circles that cross them,” he explains.
The artist uses drawing software and specialized websites to locate the best locations.
Once on the ground, he uses a compass, ropes, poles and is helped by a team of friends and students also equipped with snowshoes to crush the snow by forming immense geometric shapes in relief.
A fresco takes from a few hours to several days of work, depending on the size and complexity of the designs.
Since starting last year, Kim Asmussen has produced some 20 works on frozen fields or lakes around his hometown of Schreiber, about 1,200 km northwest of Toronto on the shores of the Lake. Superior. The largest was 400 meters long.
Before the next snowfall erases his creations, Mr. Asmussen immortalizes them by photographing and filming them by drone. He then posts them on his Facebook account, where they have attracted the attention of many Internet users and several media.
According to him, only a handful of artists engage in the practice of “art on snow with snowshoes”.
“It’s only starting to take off,” he notes, hoping that his example will be emulated.
He would like to be able to associate several schools in the region with his works, or even create a snowshoe art festival. He is currently looking for locations near the Trans-Canada Highway so that his future achievements can be seen by passing motorists and truckers.
© 2021 AFP
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