In this art photograph, three nude figures swim and play underwater, acting out a scene. Their actions imply an immediate past, an impending future, and intentions for all of the participants.
In the lower right is a camerawoman holding a vintage camera. The antique camera, almost dead center, may instantly draw a viewer’s attention. She aims at another woman, who poses in front of her. This imaginary site line between the in-picture viewer and her subject creates an imaginary line connecting the two. Their actions are plausibly an early rehearsal or perhaps a planning session, a story within a story. A third female swims toward the viewer and above the camerawoman, seemingly uninvolved with the main activity of the other two figures.
Composition and Theme
The overall composition can be divided into a left/right split where a slanted swath of blue divides the leftmost nude figure from the other two. There is also a foreground, midground, background division, with the upper right character occupying the space closest to the viewer.
The image features typical underwater sights: hard shadows cast against the bottom of the pool and ribbons of light dancing across the blue expanse. This pattern continues onto the figures’ bodies, helping unite them with the background and imparting a clear sense of depth. A sense of depth is also emphasized by the visibility of the pool’s edge and water’s surface at the very top of the composition.
We catch only a glimpse of each of the women’s faces. The largest figure in the composition is the only one who faces us. She intersects the top of the image, cut off just above her nose. This effect furthers the spontaneous, unrehearsed feeling of the scene. The other two nude figures are turned mostly away.
Despite these layers of mystery, the three characters give us hints about their emotional states. One has a visible smile which speaks volumes. The others, engrossed in their activities, communicate their dispositions through body language. The actor in the scene seems to be fixing her hair, while the camera operator is fixed solely on her subject.
This underwater art photograph imparts a feeling that something is about to happen close to us but without perfect clarity: we are witnessing this prelude through the murky lens of the aquatic environment.
For additional artwork shot below the surface, see more underwater art nudes.
Considerations
This image is a departure from Knight’s primary style. Throughout this artwork is a soft grainy/gritty effect. This effect is most pronounced in the corners. These aspects can be examined prior to purchase by fully zooming in on each preview.
