South Gallery
July 31 through September 27
Reception: Wednesday, May 27, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Ellison, painters Jodi Brown Steifel and Sain’t Phifer; and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
“Nature's creative power is far beyond man's instinct of destruction.”
— Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne described the ocean as "The Living Infinite" — a vast and mysterious realm calling to be explored. When 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was published in 1870, much of the underwater world remained unknown. The ocean represented possibility, discovery, and the excitement of encountering something never before seen.
More than 150 years later, we know far more about marine ecosystems, but we have also contributed to their dramatic decline. Using vintage 35mm underwater cameras originally designed by Jacques Cousteau, I photograph New England's coastal waters with tools that belong to an earlier era of exploration. Working with these cameras connects the images to a longer history of curiosity about the natural world, linking contemporary marine environments to the spirit of discovery that inspired earlier generations.
This work explores a world that is both vibrant and empty, mourning the loss of historic abundance while celebrating the resilience of species that continue to thrive. It is an invitation to look more closely at the waters around us, to approach them with the same sense of wonder that inspired generations of explorers, and to consider what role we might play in shaping their future.
Chloe Ellison is a self-taught photographer and freediver whose work reveals hidden worlds under the surface. Raised down the road from Compo Beach, Ellison developed an early fascination with the ocean. After learning to freedive in Cape Town, South Africa, she returned to New England and began documenting local waterways. She is inspired by the tension between old and new, using antique cameras to explore themes of memory and discovery. Her photography has been featured in Seawitches Magazine, HiHeyHello Magazine, and Betty Zine. She recently exhibited in Ode to the Natural World at The Commons in Cape Town, and was an artist-in-residence at the Rose Island Lighthouse in Newport, which contributed to the body of work in this exhibition. She also contributes educational articles on analog photography to Casual Photophile.
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For more about the Library's art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
