Underwater Surrealism is a photographic exploration that combines animals beneath the surface with scenes above the surface. Each individual image has either a reference to the names of the animals, their purpose in their habitat, art historical references, or the animal being placed in ironic scenes.
These photographs were taken throughout my travels scuba diving around the world and all the images are photographed with my own camera. Humans have always been interested in going to see these animals at aquariums or while scuba diving; instead, I am bringing these creatures up to us. I often find the oceans creatures discarded, forgotten, or deemed as not important.
When tragedy strikes animals on land, the stories make national headlines, but in most cases the ocean’s disasters are not even being told. This body of work is to bring these animals above the surface in an attempt to make them just as important and to tell their story of their role in this world.
Many of my dreams are often spent underwater and the Surrealist movement of the 1920s believed that our dreams were our subconscious coming out and the artwork was used to convey this belief. These dreams show the importance of the underwater world to not only myself but also the importance they should mean to everyone.
If these animals are brought up to the surface, are they now just as important as those on land? These images are an attempt to bring those dreams to reality with my camera and process. This body of work merges underwater, manipulated, landscape, and staged photography into my altered reality.
Ultimately, I want to bring these dreams to life through my photographic process and show the importance of the underwater realm.