FATHOM 
Photographic Prints
Single Edition
FATHOM, n.
THE LENGTH COVERED BY OUTSTRETCHED ARMS, INCLUDING THE HANDS - FROM THE TIP OF THE LONGEST FINGER...
DEPTHS. LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE...
A BREADTH OF COMPREHENSION...
A GRASP OF INTELLECT... AN INTIMATE MEASURE.

FATHOM is a series of works, drawing on the etymology of the term, as an intimate measure - 1.8m or 6 feet. A fathom marks the depth of water and the breadth of an embrace, affectionately linking sailors and fisherman to their loved ones on shore. This connection between place and people adds meaning to data: corporeal and environmental, figurative and literal, human and non-human.


Employing the open source AI text to image generator, S2ML, this series has been crafted using raw footage drawn from the NSW coasts of Yamba (Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr, and Yaegl Country) and Coffs Harbour (Gumbaynggirr Country). Capturing the shifting tides, these films operate as a way of understanding proximity from shore - the ebb and flow of the currents.

The use of AI to complement and expand creative practice is an emerging field ideally suited to filtering data, such as imagery and the tidal datum.  FATHOM emerged from tide data, raw tidal change footage, images from opensource repositories (wikiart, Flickr, imageart) and text prompts, including high to low tide, tides, tuning, fathom, ocean, depth, coast, sea, reflection. Over 3,000 iterations were then processed using TouchDesigner, then projected and filtered through a smoke screen to create a collection of high resolution photographic works.

Artists: Jo McCallum, Caroline Austin, 2023