Alex Sher | Underwater Photography

Alex Sher | Underwater Photography
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISION AND EMOTION

The relationship between vision and emotion is profound and reciprocal. While a beautiful sight can instantly lift our spirits, intense emotions can also blind us to the beauty before us. When visual stimuli and emotions align perfectly, they create a powerful resonance that can either plunge us into darkness or elevate us to aesthetic transcendence.

Sher’s work seeks this latter combination, though he acknowledges that such artistic resonance connects differently with each viewer, sometimes reaching only a select few, while other pieces capture widespread acclaim.

Alex Sher | Underwater Photography

“Water is powerful and possessive. It cautiously guards its dark abyss against air and light. Whenever either of the two sneaks in, the water mercilessly devours them. Yet, water’s power gives way to its majesty, releasing the elements it once held captive. When a weightless beauty, wrapped in shimmering bubbles, shines before my lens, the camera snaps pictures on its own. I am just holding my breath.”
– Alex Sher

Alex Sher is an American fine art photographer internationally recognised for his distinctive portrayals beneath the water surface.

Born in Ukraine, Sher immigrated to the United States in 1995. He began showing photographs in the early 1990s, initially concentrating on figurative art. For many years, Sher focused on the human form in deep aquatic surroundings. His more recent pieces, however, blend figurative and abstract elements, slowly evolving into abstract photography.

Sher began attracting attention from galleries in 2015. His first solo exhibition was held in 2016 at Bruce Lurie Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then, his work has been exhibited across Europe, North America, and Asia by distinguished galleries and museums, including the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and the Natural History Museum in London. His photographs have appeared in magazine publications across 13 countries. In 2018, Alex Sher published his first book, Mermaids.

Sher continuously works with models and photographers interested in underwater techniques, sharing what he has learned over years of experimentation.

“Reflections”

Photography offers Sher an ideal medium for exploration, allowing him to make thousands of attempts in pursuit of that perfect moment. This quest led him underwater, where he discovered an unexpected muse: the surface above. The underside of the water’s surface presents an otherworldly landscape—a vast liquid mirror in constant motion, distorting reflections and fragmenting glimpses of sky into ever-changing, mesmerising patterns. From over 100,000 photographs, Sher distilled this vision into his twenty-piece series “Reflections.”

“Reflections” are underwater photographs that could easily be mistaken for abstract paintings, reminiscent of masterpieces by Picasso, Dali, or Gustav Klimt. In fact, these images capture real reflections on the water’s inner surface. The photographs were taken with underwater cameras positioned at depth, looking upward, toward the surface.”
– Alex Sher

“Alex Sher pushes the limits of creativity, exploring themes, finding new interpretations, and playing with colors, light, emotions, and fantasy. He truly elevates the art form. And, of course, his art always raises the bar for my own underwater efforts.”
– Dan Katz 2022

See the full article in Art Market Magazine Edition #110