Unsea.

The care, accuracy and pausing of time are palpable in the works by international, award-winning fine art ocean photographer Matt Bagley. Unseen – Beauty & Devastation Underwater is a photographic collection of found objects, a project exploring the impact of human consumption on our oceans.

In stark contrast to the growing, instantaneous world of artificially generated digital images, Matt's work is a feat of human patience and precision that simultaneously underscores the recklessness of humanity's unrepentant consumerism. The poignant frames confront us with the reality of the final resting place of our waste – among the delicate life of our oceans.

“The poignant frames confront us with the reality of the final resting place of our waste...”

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I grew up by the sea.

Days determined by the tides and the winds.
Photography came later.

A perfect place for inspiration.
So familiar, yet always changing.

It feels more like a treasure hunt,
searching for shapes and forms that
don’t fit with their surroundings.

When day turns to night,
in the darkness, the ocean comes alive.

It takes a lot of preparation,
testing, timing, wind conditions, tides.

Everything must align.
I want to show something in a new light.

Something linked to truth.
Ocean debris. Discarded, forgotten.

The final frame is just the proof that it happened.

– Matt Bagley, Making of Unseen

Free diving at night off the coast of San Remo with only a handheld torch, Matt embarks on a search for forgotten debris. The discovered objects are delicately borrowed from their environment and photographed in a low-range light spectrum. What we see in the final frame is usually outside of the range available to human eyes. It is made visible through the employment of ultraviolet light, long exposure photography techniques and meticulous accuracy within a brief window of tidal conditions.

The result reveals an otherwise unseen ecosystem, one where our oceans have been left with no choice but to absorb our waste. In a stunning display of resilience, the marine environment has begun to reclaim these objects, embellishing them with vibrant, microscopic life forms that create a mesmerising tapestry of colour.

The resulting images are otherworldly, ethereal, almost surreal in their beauty. Yet, make no mistake, what you see is the truth – both divine and devastating. It is a poignant juxtaposition of the magnificent adaptability of nature and the cataclysmic impact of human carelessness. This powerful visual narrative serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of our actions and the urgent need to change our relationship with the environment.

Through Unseen, Matt hopes to raise public awareness around the critical issue of ocean pollution and inspire individuals to take action in their daily lives. The innovative, fully immersive exhibition, which will be held in October at Berninneit, Phillip Island, combines large-format photographs with an augmented reality component. Visitors will gain a deeper understanding of how objects, such as tyres, end up in our oceans; the staggering 600-year decomposition process they undergo; and the far-reaching impact they have on marine life and habitats.

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Matt Bagley is an international, award-winning ocean photographer based in San Remo who is passionate about the human connection to nature. His driving passions are to bring awareness to others, share the truth of human impact and trigger action. Matt's photographs have been featured
in numerous publications, such as Australian Geographic, Vital Impacts Photography Collection, The Washington Post, The Guardian and Vanity Fair.

To experience the power of Unseen firsthand and learn more about how you can make a difference in protecting our oceans, visit the exhibition at Berninneit, Phillip Island, from October 26 to December 8 2024.

For more information about Matt Bagley's work and future exhibitions, please visit mattbagley.art or follow him at @petrichor.mb.

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Gippslandia - Issue No. 31

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