Aqua Lab: In Search of the Third Thing

Water is H2O, hydrogen two parts, oxygen one,
but there is also a third thing, that makes it water
and nobody knows what that is…

‘The Third Thing’ — D.H. Lawrence

Aqua Lab: In Search of the Third Thing aims to investigate what exactly that “thing” is that draws us to be in the water. Not everyone is compelled to throw themselves into water but for those that are addicted to it – the pull is undeniable. All would most likely agree that it is not just one thing. During its investigation Aqua Lab has identified many things that drive us to jump into water including weightlessness, color, solitude, patterns of light, sound, adventure, a connection to nature, and the thrill of the unknown.

Aqua Lab has thus far documented 18 lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada region, the Pacific Ocean in California and Australia, the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico, the Caribbean Sea around St. Kitts and Nevis, Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and numerous lakes and rivers in Switzerland. In the course of the project I have noticed changes in the Sierra Nevada lakes from season to season and year to year, and how increasingly dramatic storms, draught, and fires affect the waters. A project that set out to answer one question has raised many more regarding the future of our waters. I see this project continuing and perhaps the dialogue around it shifting to address these issues and raise awareness about the importance of the health of our waters.