Use full screen for better viewing.
The Burning of the New Carissa
Abstract
Description
Soon after the freighter New Carissa ran aground in a storm at Coos Bay, Oregon, on February 4, 1999, Henk Pander was on the scene to draw and photograph the wrecked ship. He created seven large paintings of the New Carissa, including this dramatic view after the ship was set afire to burn off the fuel. Pander described the scene in his journal: “Suddenly, shockingly, the sky lit up with a huge fireball. The light and fire faded and a huge, low black cloud stretched north along the distant beach.” Henk Pander was born in Haarlem, The Netherlands, and settled in Portland with his American wife and their son in 1965. Apart from periodic trips to Holland, he has lived in Portland for nearly half a century but to this day considers himself a “reluctant immigrant.” He strives to maintain an outsider’s view of the dramatic scenery and events (such as the wreck of the New Carissa or the destruction of the World Trade Center) of North America. The Hallie Ford Museum of Art presented a retrospective exhibition of Pander’s work in 2011.