Project proposal 1 expanded: Underwater dogs and challenging perceptions

I found an incredible book in a charity shop, filled with photographs of dogs underwater: mouths open and teeth bared. At first glance they look ferocious, even dangerous. But of course, they’re just playing, chasing after a ball. That tension between perception and reality is what drew me in.

I plan to create new compositions using AI-generated imagery, echoing the underwater photographs and then reimagining them as layered screen prints. The dog and the ball will be printed separately, forming two parts of a narrative. I plan to experiment with superimposing one image over the other through projection and light box. 

The aim is to provoke an initial emotional response and then gently dismantle it, bringing the ball, the truth, into conversation.

This work is about manipulation. About how fear shapes our understanding of the world, and how easily perspective can be distorted. 

It’s also about trust, loyalty, and the co-evolution of humans and dogs: a story that reminds us that symbiosis, kindness, and play are not naïve ideals but essential strategies for survival.

Thank you Seth Casteel, I love your book and your work.

I don't have a working title for this yet. I will think on it.