Beneath the Surface
Tracie Truscott
Mixed Media on Repurposed Porthole
22" x 22"
Beneath the Surface is a remarkable mixed-media work by British Columbia artist Tracie Truscott, created from a repurposed marine-style porthole and transformed into an illuminated window onto an imagined underwater world.
At first glance, the aged bronze-toned porthole gives the piece the character of an object recovered from another time and place. Look more closely and Truscott's world begins to emerge. Layers of luminous turquoise, emerald, blue and gold create the sensation of looking through glass into deep water, while fish, jellyfish and organic forms appear to drift through the composition. Intricate spirals travel across the surface, suggesting currents, bubbles and the constant movement of the sea.
When illuminated, the work reveals one of its most captivating elements: the silhouette of an octopus emerging within the underwater scene. Light becomes an active part of the artwork, changing its depth and atmosphere and revealing details that can be experienced differently depending on whether the piece is lit or unlit. The effect is mysterious and theatrical—as though the viewer has discovered a portal and is catching a fleeting glimpse of something moving on the other side.
Truscott carries the underwater world beyond the glass itself. Sculpted octopus tentacles curl over and around the porthole, breaking the boundary between the imagined world within and the physical world outside. One tentacle reaches toward the small brass tap at the bottom, adding the artist's characteristic sense of playfulness and surprise.
Beneath the Surface perfectly demonstrates Truscott's extraordinary ability to see possibility in objects others might overlook. Rather than beginning with a conventional canvas, she repurposes an existing object and allows its original form and history to become part of the finished artwork. Her skills as a painter, sculptor, tattoo artist and automotive bodywork specialist come together in the intricate surfaces, sculptural elements and exceptionally detailed finishing.
Her experience as an accomplished diver brings another dimension to the work. This is not simply decoration inspired by the ocean; it conveys the sensation of peering into another environment—one filled with movement, colour, changing light and creatures that may reveal themselves only for a moment.
The result is part sculpture, part illuminated artwork and part found-object transformation. Beneath the Surface rewards a second look, and then another, as new details emerge from its layers.
At Peachland Village Art Studio, we are proud to showcase artists who challenge traditional boundaries and create work that is genuinely their own. Beneath the Surface captures everything that makes Tracie Truscott's work so distinctive: imagination, technical skill, reclaimed materials and a fascination with the underwater world, brought together in a truly one-of-a-kind piece.
