Leonardo’s Submarine: A Creative Reflection

2 Sept

Leonardo's Submarine, Artwork by Ralph Kerle.

"All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions," Leonardo da Vinci once said, a notion that resonates deeply with my creative process. "Leonardo’s Submarine" emerged from one such moment of unexpected clarity, where perception and imagination intertwined.

I was kayaking under the Spit Bridge that joins the upper and lower North shore over Sydney's Middle Harbour, when I decided to capture what I was seeing on the surface of the water. At first, it seemed like just another shot—ripples and reflections playing in the light. But as I downloaded the image and stared at it, something curious happened. My subconscious began to speak, shaping the abstract patterns into something more. I found myself looking at what I thought must have been Leonardo da Vinci’s famous submarine drawing, only this time it was rendered in full, vibrant color.

However, upon further research, I realized my subconscious had misled me. While Leonardo da Vinci is so deeply embedded in the public consciousness that it was natural to attribute the image to him, the submarine that truly stirred my creativity was not his. Instead, it was David Bushnell’s Turtle, the first submarine used in combat, that had woven its way into my mind. The title "Leonardo’s Submarine" was a spontaneous inference, but in truth, it was Bushnell's creation that had inspired the image.

This work represents more than just a photograph; it’s a reflection on how we perceive the world and how those perceptions can lead us to see beyond the obvious. In this image, I see a dialogue between the conscious and the subconscious, a reminder that within the ordinary lies the potential for extraordinary discovery, even if our initial perceptions lead us astray.