Fifteen years ago I had a question I begin answering today: what would aquariums look like if they were created to be sculptural art while simultaneously being sensitive to the ecology of the flora and fauna contained within them?
In the intervening years, I’ve had design ideas I’ve sketched. Some are fantastical and demand attention. Some are understated. Some are high tech. All are designed to teleport you away from civilization and to their respective biomes.
In general, most freshwater aquariums follow a rigid formalism: they’re rectangular in shape and are deserts, devoid of flora. Some even are lurid bordering on pop art, with neon gravels and bubbling treasure chests or submerged dolls. You can even buy fish injected with dyes that flouresce under black light. Tanks that break the formalism are more often monuments to the wealth of the owner or are designed to fit the desires of the human owner versus the inhabitants of their transparent cage.
My approach to leaving formalism behind starts with light and water, adds plants and fish, and the form of the container follows the function of the biome, combined into a piece designed to engage the viewer.
I look forward to sharing these designs with you and offering them for sale as they come to life in my studio.
Heather
Alluvial Lux 