Nandi Cooper

My work is an underwater lens into the unknown. I’m known to dive into vast, mysterious, and unhinged ideas. Like the ocean, creating this work was humbling to say the least. Through ink in water photography, I shine a spotlight on the 80% of the ocean that is unexplored and unmapped. I hope that through my work people will look more carefully at the world we live in and discover beauty in unusual places. The size of my ocean was 7 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 8 inches tall. There was an unpredictable nature of how the ink I used would flow. For every 100 shots I would have one or two good ones due to limited lighting space, murky waters, and timing issues. After each take, I had to dump out the entire tank, refill it, and start all over. There was something bittersweet about repeatedly watching my creations get dumped down the drain. The ephemeral tones of my work does not stop the pride that will forever flow through me from accomplishing this series.