Observation Temple

2016

Pen and ink drawings 19" x 24"

Digital renderings

Concept

The ocean is the largest unexplored landscape on the planet, but we are all curious as to what lies in its depths.  Only with the invention of s.c.u.b.a. and underwater photography did the world begin to see what lies below the surface of the ocean.  

The reflective surface of water visually divides the land from the sea.  This division disconnects people’s view of the oceans.  If we, explorers, could share what we have seen underwater, it would have a profound effect on the way the ocean is treated, preserved, and honored.  The Observation Temple is a sculpture designed to frame the ocean in a way that people can see below the surface in an environment that promotes the idea that the ocean is a realm to be studied, explored, and honored.  

Most of the world has only seen the ocean through photographs and films.  While they are both excellent starting points, every explorer knows that when we experience something in person, it changes the way we see the world.  The Observation Temple creates an immediate experience for viewers as they are invited to view a portal into the ocean at the same time they are above the water.  

The objective of the Observation Temple is to peal back the reflective surface of the ocean and allow a viewer to stare into the ocean and see for the first time, a simultaneous view of life above and below the sea.