'At the Bottom of the Hotel Pool' can be seen as a meditation on the anxious conditions of aspiration:

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The pool is a chemically purified body of water. Artificially maintained and constructed, it functions as an exclusive place of leisure, luxury and healing. Therefore, its image is perceived as the lavish picture of success.  

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Yet, beneath the surface of this blissful perfection lies the hidden decay of its performance. In this underworld of psyche, effortless triumph becomes a struggle for air. In the choking depths, a hollow treasure is glimpsed by stinging eyes: An alluring light at the bottom of the hotel pool. Too deep in the water, drowning is the price of perfection.

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Chris Donovan (b. 2003) is a London-based artist and recent First-Class graduate from Camberwell College of Arts, whose practice amalgamates photography and painting, through digital image manipulation and printing. His current work poses landscape as self-portraiture, translating the psychological conditions of young adulthood into perspectives of the outside world. Recent exhibitions include: his Camberwell Degree Show (2026), Southwark Park Galleries (2026), and Copeland Park (2025).

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