Part of the New Light Prize Exhibition 2020

At school, Ian Brooks was torn between art and science. Opting for a degree in physics, he eventually ended up as a professor in atmospheric physics doing research on ocean-atmosphere interactions and polar climate. He never quite gave up drawing, but only after being introduced to etching did he begin to treat art seriously again. 

Ian's scientific research has taken him to many of the world's most remote locations, including the North Pole, and a number of islands off the coast of Antarctica. These fragile, and often bleak, landscapes have provided the inspiration for many of his etchings.