Using tightly framed shots, Belgian artist and diver Sylvie de Burrie turns underwater scenes of coral into stunning pieces of gallery-quality abstract art. The square photos that comprise her series My Life Aquatic allow viewers to see the elegant reef creatures arranged in repeating patterns. The careful framing imposes order on the scenes, helping us to approach nature from a new perspective.
Burrie, who says she felt wanderlust calling as a child, spends most of her days exploring the riverbanks and flatlands surrounding her hometown of Ghent. When she first considered trying to capture the beauty of scenes she discovered while diving, she was intimidated by the logistics involved. But as her macro photography skills grew, so did her appreciation of her “hidden treasure chest” – the reef.
“While looking for and photographing these intriguing patterns, I’m the happiest person on earth,” she says. “Every time I dare to think there’s nothing new to discover, there actually is.”
