The British artist Anya Gallaccio is known for working with organic materials such as flowers, grass, fruit and ice, which change and decay over time. When she was nominated for Tate Britain’s Turner Prize, in 2003, her contributions to the show included, among other things, an apple tree with apples that were left to rot for the duration of the exhibition. Her materials are radically different from the more traditional ways of creating art objects; instead of seeking to create something permanent, she makes transient pieces that inevitably melt, rot and disappear. The central theme in her work is metamorphosis.

Black Ice depicts depicts an abstract location, reminiscent of a landscape. This print evokes a snow-frosted wintry forest. The seasonal theme touches on Gallaccio’s interest in change. This print is not physically as fragile as Gallaccio’s other work, but it (and its companion piece, White Ice) is nevertheless concerned with themes of change and decay. Though print is conventionally a static medium, Gallaccio has produced a pair of prints which suggest the passage of time, from pristine snow to despoiled slush and ice. To achieve this she exploits the qualities of two different print processes – screen-printing and etching, and applies them to different supports – acrylic and paper.