Inspiration: Underwater Sculpture World

This is one of the many cool things I found in a magazine on the plane, and by god do I love it. I reaaallllyyy want to go here!! I haven't had chance to show this to the mr, with the whole being in Canada thing, but I am so making him take me scuba diving here!

Basically the deal is that artist Jason de Caires Taylor created an underwater world of life-size human sculptures, as you can see above. There is a huge range of sculptural people, including kids and old people as well as still life set-ups. They are supposed to create an underwater habitat that the underwater life can grow on and live around, and should decay in a similar fashion to the way that they would if they were on land and exposed to the wind and other elements.

There is a huge amount of info on his website that explains the perspectives and ideas of his work, but here is a quote that better explains the basic idea behind them.

'Jason de Caires Taylor’s underwater sculptures create a unique, absorbing and expansive visual seascape. Highlighting natural ecological processes Taylor’s interventions explore the intricate relationships that exist between art and environment. His works become artificial reefs, attracting marine life, while offering the viewer privileged temporal encounters, as the shifting sand of the ocean floor, and the works change from moment to moment.'

What I find so mesmerising about them is how very realistic they are. All the facial features, wrinkles, clothing lines are so life-like that I imagine it can be quite a creepy feeling being underwater and surrounded by these frozen people. He also explains on his website how being underwater can change the experience for a viewer;

'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.'

Please go and look at his website, there is such a huge realm of information on all his works, and I don't feel like my explanations do them justice.

Abiento x

P.S I love this shot of all the business men in their suits trying to cut the opening ceremony ribbon....

!!

P.P.S All the images shown here were found on the artist's official website, and are copyright to him and the photographer. Please be nice to them :)