About

Thank you for visiting the underwater image library, my name is Alexander James Hamilton and I am an artist. My work has always been centred around the medium of water in particular creating sculptural works underwater, and by recording those events on large format analogue camera equipment without the use of post production. This website contains a selection of those works spanning 4 decades.

As an artist I believe it is my role to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large, a crucial means for turning thinking into doing in the world; These works tread delicately between the art classifications of photography, sculpture, painting, lighting installation and land based works.

Never limited by the architectural confines of the art world, my practice engages the broader public sphere through interventions within natural landscapes and civic spaces alike, arts education, policy-making, issues of sustainability and ecocide.

Global warming, plastic pollution and other human activity is disrupting the biological world in profound ways, pushing many species to the brink of extinction with unabated carbon emissions & biodiversity loss from every landscape on the planet.

My work has always centred around a core belief of the need for ethical guardianship of the natural world, every project undertaken aiming to reference a more circular future.

Recent projects include… in 2020 for ‘Renaciendo’ I worked tirelessly and single handed to re-open the last baroque Carmelita Convent in Spain still standing that had been abandoned for over 150 years returning it back to use to the community. Prof. Javier Poyatos Sebastián, Professor of Culture at the University of Valencia wrote ‘Creative Ruralism’ documenting the impact & importance of the project.

In 2021, I donated 20 ‘Visions from the shoreline’ artworks to help fund ‘Makers Place’ the first ever carbon neutral single use plastic & aluminium recycling facility to become operational in the Maldives. This project in particular references a lifetime of environmental projects that you can explore here.

In 1990 I founded the Distil Ennui Studio™ to allow me to offer a yearly, paid & fully supported artist residency program. The program focusses particularly on repurposing materials found close at hand, and how to make their own materials from scratch. Residencies always include open to the public design & recycling workshops and museum standard exhibitions. For 2 days of the week the resident artists must engage in direct community work such as helping repaint an old peoples home, or helping restore a culturally significant building, or artwork.

So far the project has helped guide over 450 artists, allowing them to focus & develop their process within the extraordinary studio environments I have created around around the world including the critically acclaimed ‘Red October’ and ‘Dark Vat’ that are having a continued seismic effect on the arts landscape.

The Underwater Image Library holds a visual diary and complete record of this 4 decade journey in image & video format that are not available anywhere else, and, are exclusively available for ‘rights managed’ licensing to help create a campaign that will resonate with your audience.

If you would like to investigate a more detailed profile of past exhibitions & projects then please visit the Distil Ennui Studio™ website www.DistilEnnui.com or the well documented journal at www.DistilEnnui.com/Journal.

FAQ’s

Q. What is this website?

This website is a ‘rights managed’ licensing platform that contains a selection of works from the back catalogue of artist Alexander James Hamilton founder of the Distil Ennui Studio™ established in 1990.

The images, video and 3d stl files you will view here are not available anywhere else, and, are exclusively available for ‘rights managed’ licensing only.

Q. Are site specific installation prints available?
Non-Edition commercial prints are available by special request in sizes up to 12 metres in length, under rights managed terms; under the condition that there is to be no commercial resale of the print(s) at any time. These prints are available to interior designers, property developers and architects for permanent site specific installations.

Q. Can I see higher resolution images ?
All still images and videos seen on this website are shot ‘in camera’. The stills are shot on analogue medium and large format cameras using 6x6 cms, 5x4 inch or 10x8 inch transparency film plates with the finest quality film scans all prepared and loaded onto our digital archive for immediate access. The video files are shot as you see them with no post production, you will be licensing the raw file.

The quality is difficult to see at web screen resolution; if you would like to view higher res images or files please make your selection and add them to your ‘light-box’ - click the 'SEND ENQUIRY' button and you will be contacted to arrange a closer look.

Q. How do I get usage licence pricing information ?
All images are available exclusively on a ‘rights managed’ basis only, the fee to license or reproduce an image, video or 3d model file is based specifically on how it will be used at all times, and, in all circumstances.

Any still images, video or 3d models that interest you can be added to your ‘light-box', click the 'send enquiry' button and we will contact you to discuss your specific needs.

Q. Do you offer images, video and 3d model files with Exclusivity ?
All image, video and 3d model files are solely offered on an exclusive basis by default, no image or video will be re-licensed for a period of 24 months. No similar image or video will be re-licensed to the same industry sector for the same period of 24 months, offering you peace of mind that your campaign will not be diluted by competitors for a full 2 year period.

Q. Do you offer Royalty Free images or Subscription services ?
No this would be detrimental to the studios plan to offer unique virgin use assets and offer rights managed assets only. All images, videos and 3d models are exclusively available on a ‘rights managed’ only basis. we offer no ‘Royalty Free’ or ‘Subscription’ usage services of any kind for commercialisation of any of these works.

It should be noted all works (video, still and 3d models) are registered with the US Copyright Office, affording us the right to protect the misuse of these works outside of the Berne Convention (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention). We will be vigorously upholding all rights as the sole author and creator by prosecuting copyright and moral rights breaches in all instances, without exception.

Please support & respect the many years of hard work it has taken to develop this archive by restricting your usage to the specific ‘usage rights’ you have requested and that any agreed licence agreement offered is based upon.

PRIVACY & COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved at all times. All material on these pages is protected by copyright. No part of this website either text, audio, video or images may be used for any purpose other than personal use, without the explicit authorisation of the Distil Ennui Studio™. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, or otherwise) for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.

For all enquiries please contact Info at DistilEnnui dot com

If you do wish to discuss the material contained in this website in a ‘non-commercial’ way; it is on the strict condition that you always display and enable a hot link to the www.DistilEnnui.com website with a clear copyright message that reads….

STUDIO INFORMATION

The Distil Ennui Studio™ was formed in 1990 by British artist Alexander James Hamilton; during that time the studio has re-located over 20 times to regions ranging from the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Caribbean, Indian Ocean Rim, Europe, Russia and Siberia; each time creating new bodies of work to be exhibited in iconic spaces & galleries around the world that are infused with these surroundings.

Licensing works for commercial use from this website, or buying original artworks direct from the studio website www.DistilEnnui.com helps to support the many community projects, charitable affiliations, donations, artist residency program and the four decades of advocating for the protection of global waters. Please show your support by respecting the artists copyright. You can read more about these projects on the artists journal.