Stop what you’re doing for a moment and take a look at these hauntingly beautiful pictures of underwater sculptures by artist Jason de Caires Taylor. The sixty-five sculptures, covering an area of 800sq metres, are sited in the clear shallow waters of Moilinere bay in Grenada, West Indies.
The underwater sculpture park was created back in 2006 and was designed to create artificial reefs for marine life to colonise and inhabit. Exposed to the ecological processes the sculptures become home to coral and marine life and slowly transform over time.
“The experience of being underwater is vastly different from that of being on land. There are physical and optical considerations that must be taken into account. Objects appear twenty-five percent larger underwater, and as a consequence they also appear closer. Colors alter as light is absorbed and reflected at different rates, with the depth of the water affecting this further. The light source in water is from the surface, this produces kaleidoscopic effects governed by water movement, currents and turbulence. Water is a malleable medium in which to travel enabling the viewer to become active in their engagement with the work. The large number of angles and perspectives from which the sculptures can be viewed increase dramatically the unique experience of encountering the works.” Says Jason de Caires Taylor’s website.
I first saw these pictures earlier back in March and found Jason’s site by simply doing a Google for ‘underwater sculptures.’ His site features loads of beautiful pictures and a really stunning film of the underwater sculpture park.
Jason followed the success of the underwater park with the creation of ‘Alluvia‘ which consisted of two female figures submerged and fixed to the bed of the River Stour in Canterbury, England. He is currently working on a new series of sculptures to be placed on land and underwater in Italy, around the La Castella and Capo Colonna coastline.
According to his website, Jason is seeking volunteers to be life-casted for his projects. If you are interested in being represented in the form of an underwater statue and can travel to London then email him. I might just volunteer myself.
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Jason de Caires Taylor
Underwater sculpture film
Wrote the following comment on Jun 10, 2008 at 11:38 am
Wow! I love these. First, visually. And I really like it when objects are designed to age, and time becomes part of the sculpture. I also like the idea of hidden sculptural object. I’d started working on that in 94 – I’m planning to look at it again soon… very soon….! When I have a minute.
Knowing something is there without necessarily seeing it feeds the imagination, and creates a whole new fantasy it futher, which makes the object very alive. It plays on desire and frustration too, which can be interesting.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 10, 2008 at 2:18 pm
That is just too cool. I love them.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 10, 2008 at 5:29 pm
How absolutely beautiful is that! Wow! I live in London, hmmm.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 10, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Is it me or does anyone else think these sculptures look a little spooky?
Wrote the following comment on Jun 10, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I think the pictures are amazing, though you’d think an artist would want their work to be seen by as many people as possible wouldn’t you?
Wrote the following comment on Jun 11, 2008 at 11:15 am
True enough Doug, but you’ve seen them now haven’t you. As have many of thousands of other people who have seen them in magazines, press articles, and blogs the world over.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 11, 2008 at 8:12 pm
What is cool is the interplay of art forms: sculpture and photography. Many more people are likely to see these sculptures because of the work of a photographer, as opposed to seeing them in person. Consequently the photographer has a responsibility to try to capture the sculptures in their setting so as to capture their presence. On the other hand, the photographer will bring his or her vision to how they capture these sculptures and present them on film. On the level of photographic expression, this is art within art.
It reminds me of a series of poems written by William Carlos Williams that were inspired by the paintings of Pieter Bruegel.
Good stuff.
Thanks.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 11, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I should have mentioned that the photographer was actually the artists, Jason de Caires Taylor.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 12, 2008 at 1:29 am
WOW! I love art. Any art. This is really beautiful.
Wrote the following comment on Jun 21, 2008 at 10:48 am
That is exquisitely beautiful – melancholic, surreal and other-worldly all at the same time.