"The Seaworthy" are a series of sculptured stoneware pots that have been created for placement in the ocean for one to two years in order to collect barnacles, oysters, tubeworms, urchins, tunicates, coral and other living organisms. These organisms will grow on the pots, complementing their already natural form. After the pots have grown an acceptable amount of growth, they will be brought out of the ocean and dried out. The texture should be phenomenal, and with any luck, we will see some interesting color as well.

I originally embarked on this project for the aesthetic reasons alone. But then I became fascinated with the idea of recording everything that happens to the pottery; where they were placed, the depth of the pot beneath the surface, the water's salinity and temperature, what organisms made a habitat of the pots, etc.

I am currently working with Chris Olstad, a marine biologist at Marine Resources Development Foundation in Key Largo, FL. who is assisting me in making these comparative studies. The data we gather will be sent along with photographs, video and coral samples to biologists who are working on rebuilding the Florida Keys barrier reefs. These reefs have been slowly dying, and scientists are racing to restore them. The damage done will take decades to recover, so any role that this project may play is an honor for both me as an artist and for the artwork that is being created.

The first of the Seaworthy Collection, numbers 1-5, were placed in a Key Largo mangrove lagoon in the summer of 2001. When I returned in Aug 2002, 14 months later, only one pot was ready for removal. I replaced it with another pot and left the rest to accumulate more growth over the next year and a half.

(for up to date images and information please click the thumbnails)



During the summer 2002 trip more pots were dropped in ecosystems different from the mangrove lagoon. These pots are anchored to the sea floor using concrete blocks and are residing in sea grass beds and near coral reefs.

(for up to date images and information about these works click here)

(for macro images taken of organisms which
made a habit of the pottery in the mangrove lagoon click here.)

I plan to drop many pots every year in different locations around the world. In 20 years or so the Seaworthy will be a significant collection. Who knows what will be brought up from the bottom of the ocean?

lagoon pottery images - underwater setup images
macro photography