Chris Watson - Planet Ocean (2026)

In the late 1960's the first colour photographs of earth taken from outer space revealed this to be a blue planet. It took images captured from 98,000 nautical miles away to trigger a new focus on environmental issues. This attention also revealed that more than 70% of this planet is occupied by the seas and oceans, the largest and most sound rich collection of habitats.

'Planet Ocean' is a celebration of the sounds, rhythms and textures of the oceans worldwide, a gathering of tidal voices pushed and pulled by gravitational forces from above and below the surface.

The photographs that complement 'Planet Ocean' are by circumstance land and water-based. They are intended as a parallel narrative to the sound recordings, deliberately 20 in number so as not to fit with any notion of pairing with a specific location. There is a chemistry between the close-up and the epic vistas together with personal moments at the margins by the water's edge. That seductive and dreadful beauty - are you going in? - "no, it looks freezing!" - but actually the world is melting in front of our eyes.

Wave wash releases negative ions into the air and together with the associated sound they bestow a sense of well-being and stillness when faced by this awesome power. 57 years on from 1969 we need to remind ourselves of the ancient relationship we have with 'Planet Ocean'. A place where we evolved from and which continues to support all life on earth and in the waters all around.