Humans in the Ocean 2: when HOV Alvin portholes meet the lens of art-2

Rebecca Rutstein, a visual artist who has been inspired by deep sea processes, has set up her art studio in the main lab of R/V Atlantis, and painted several art works based on her experiences in #HOVAlvin.

As many before her have experienced, the view through Alvin’s porthole affected her deeply. “There is nothing quite like going down the bottom of the ocean and seeing with your own eyes the otherworldly view out the porthole,” said Rutstein. “The view will be ingrained in my mind for years to come.”

Rutstein set up her art studio in the main lab on R/V Atlantis, so that she could set aside events of the outside world and focus on details of the expedition. On canvases, she incorporated multibeam data from #AUVSentry as well as temperature, oxydation reduction potential, and optical back-scatter anomalies.

For Rutstein, her time on the ship and in the sub have helped enhance the depth of experience that translates to more immersive and powerful art. “For any professional, the experience of going to the ocean floor in Alvin and seeing this hidden world can take you outside of yourself and bring a new perspective,” she said.

Her exhibition “Out of the Darkness” at the Georgia Museum of Art is open until October 27th, 2019

This cruise is funded by @NSF_GEO