Photography that’s been on display for the past four months at the site of a sunken warship off the coast of Sanibel Island is back at the surface for an exhibition at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.

Last summer, when the WWII-era Coast Guard Cutter, the USS Mohawk, was sunk and turned into an artificial reef it caught the attention of Austrian artist and diver Andreas Franke. 

“He takes photographs of a ship that has been sunk and then he takes photographs of the ship underwater,” said Lee County Alliance for the Arts Exhibition Coordinator Krista Johnson.  “And then he takes photographs of models in his studio and sets a scene for the images that he’s taken from the ship.”

The superimposed models in the photographs are all in 1940s era clothing to represent the Mohawk’s history.

Franke’s work was then sealed in acrylic boxes and lowered down to the Mohawk, turning the sunken ship into a kind of underwater gallery for the last four months. 

“And then he brings them up and they are cleaned and sealed and then they are ready for exhibition,” said Johnson.  Part of the uniqueness of the works is how exposure to the ocean environment alters the colors in the photographs.

Andreas Franke will attend an opening reception for The Sinking World exhibition at the Alliance for the Arts Oct.4 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.  Franke will also answer questions at a gallery talk on Oct. 5 at 10:00 a.m.

The 28-piece exhibition will remain on display at the Alliance for the Arts through Oct. 28.