SCULPTED MOMENTS UNDER THE WATER

Jason de Caires Taylor is an English sculptor, and the curator of the World’s first Underwater Museum. As an explorer who has chosen the bottom of the ocean to place his eco-sculptures, he creates unique personal experiences augmented with the multi-dimensional perception enhanced by water.

With his installations that take form of artificial coral reefs over time, Taylor aims to draw attention away from the natural reefs that need space to rehabilitate. Appreciating the marine life in an exceptional way, his magical addition to the underwater world provides not only space for endangered species to hold on to but also hope that his form of art can be beneficial for the marine ecosystem.

Taylor’s concrete sculptures are made with carefully selected, eco-friendly materials before they are positioned on the ocean floor. Working with marine biologists, he designs a specific form of marine life that he wants to construct.

His early work that includes of Vicissitudes, Grace Reef, The Lost Correspondent and The Unstill Life are located in the world’s first public underwater sculpture park in Molinere Bay, Grenada, West Indies, which was commissioned in 2006. His most recent project, the worlds largest underwater sculpture museum, MUSA, founded in 2010, off the coast of Cancun, include works Hombre en llamas (Man on Fire), La Jardinera de la Esperanza (The Gardener of Hope), El Colecionista de los Sueños (The Dream Collector) and La Evolución Silenciosa (The Silent Evolution).

The majority of his work consists of human figures positioned beneath the ocean emphasizing the symbiotic relationship that occurs between man and nature. His figures, doomed to change organically as part of the ecosystem, shows how human interaction with nature can be sustainable. 

Another recurring theme of his works is sense of loss. Recording some of the lost moments eroded away under the pace of technology, Taylor’s work creates nostalgia and conveys hope.

The exceptional visual seascape created by Taylor will be offering a never-ending experience. The unpredictability that the evolution of his sculpted moments gives is a narrative beauty that is waiting to be discovered. 
Images via underwatersculpture.com