Narelle Autio | Ruth Maddison | Catherine Nelson

Scientists like to tell us that Earth was misnamed. Given that over 70 per cent of Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, it would be more accurate to say that we live on planet Water. Scientists also point out that up to 60 per cent of the human body consists of water, and that all of life as we know it is infused with water, from the cells of organisms to the air we breathe. Our existence is a watery one.

It is not just scientists, however, who draw our attention to the omnipotence of water. Artists, musicians and writers have frequently drawn inspiration from the mysterious depths of the oceans, the drama of stormy clouds and the water cycles that seem to carry all of life along in their currents. Over recent years, with our increased sensitivity to Earth’s precarious ecology, artists often work with images of water in order to reflect on the interrelated and transient nature of our existence.

This exhibition features the work of three contemporary photographers who plunge the viewer into underwater landscapes where life forms are suspended, interconnected and bubbling with quiet potential. In different ways, each artist asks us to sink below the horizon of our upright, civilised lives and to immerse ourselves in planet Water.