ADAMS, Mark, 1949-
9.4.1992 Piopiotahi - Milford Sound, Atawhenua - Fiordland 2006, no.7 (Photograph)
On a Thursday before Easter in 1992,
photographer Mark Adams put his large format
camera up on a tripod in the wettest place in
New Zealand. In three parts, he re-created the
well-known panoramic view of Milford Sound
looking northwest from Freshwater Basin. But
something is missing from the resultant images.
The centrepiece of this glacier-carved fiord (and
its quintessential geological feature) is obscured
by mist. Gone is the distinctive marker which
elevates this landscape above the picturesque
to iconic status as a World Heritage Site. The
sublime Mitre Peak has become a haunting
absence.