Ocean Art and Literature

The ocean has been described in pictures and words in every culture. Images of sailors and vessels appear in the traditional media of painting and drawing, but also in the decorative arts, utilitarian items, ephemeral objects, even carved in rock walls of mountains and deserts. Museums, of course, are predictable sources for these works, but they can also be found in expressions of popular culture, past and present, in fiction and non-fiction, in films, poetry and song.

Below is a preliminary list of useful links. Much of this material is not easily discovered on the Internet. Ocean literature may also be found in Publications. To suggest relevant sites, please contact us.

Ocean Art
Ocean Literature

Ocean Art

Journey Deep Into the Heart of Water

by Laurent Costa
The artist uses a microscope to capture the pure essence of water, to look at it in a pure state and find magic in the present moment. Laurent has said, "The hour is for the awareness of our world heritage. The purpose of this project is to educate about the protection or our water systems and to have a better understanding of water by such simple gestures.

Books of Ice

Sculptures by Basia Irland. Text by Kathleen Dean Moore. Published in March/April 2013 Orion Magazine.
Ms. Irland's work emphasizes the necessity of communal effort and scientific knowledge to deal with the complex issues of climate disruption and watershed restoration by releasing seed-laden ephemeral ice sculptures into rivers.

Cancun's Underwater Museum

One man's artistic vision: this museum off the coast of Cancun has nearly 500 sculptures sunken in up to 10 meters of water-a vital tourist attraction but also a front line in conservation as it diverts divers from Mexico's fragile coral reef. CNN video.

Cape Farewell

Cape Farewell brings artists, scientists and educators together to collectively address and raise awareness about climate change. Created by David Buckland, Cape Farewell has led three expeditions into the wild, beautiful and icy High Arctic, a place for artistic inspiration and scientific enquiry.

'Articles on climate change appear almost daily in the newspapers, and on television and it can appear that such issues are beyond our control. This is why we are trying to use the personal experiences of renowned artists, and the creative vocabulary of art rather than science, to raise an awareness that everyone individually can help alleviate the impacts of climate change...' (Bergit Arends, Art Curator at the Natural History Museum, London)

Art and the Sea Gallery

This gallery at Britain’s National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, offers an overview of the sea in European visual culture from the 16th to 21st centuries.

Marine Art Quarterly

Insider information from the one of the contemporary marine art world’s leading galleries; offers issues of the Quarterly, images of new works, information about historic marine art, and links to gallery exhibitions.

American Society of Marine Artists

A gallery of members' work is an outstanding feature of this site on contemporary American marine art. ASMA is a membership organization aiming to recognize and promote marine art and history, and to encourage the interests of artists, historians, marine enthusiasts and others.