For me Tamatea/ Dusky Sound in Fiordland is such an incredibly unique and special place. It is a place that enriches the body and mind, fills the soul, and inspires the hope that we can protect, preserve and nurture the environment around us.
This work was created as a response to the wonderful opportunity of visiting Tamatea/ Dusky Sound with “Pure Salt” on board the vessel “Flightless” in November 2019. This adventure allowed me to explore some of the underwater environment through snorkelling, something I hadn’t done for such a long time. It emphasised to me the incredibly rich diversity under the waterline, an environment as fragile and precious as the land and sky above. It was also clear to see the importance and result of the introduction of Marine Reserves to the area.
In this work I have used a reproduction of an old nautical map to reference the rich and diverse history of Tamatea / Dusky Sound and its exploration. The map also acted as a matrix for me. It allowed me to embed landscape drawings from the expedition into it, and to float imagery of much of the flora and fauna we experienced, over the top of it.