Throughout human history, artistic expression has been inscribed onto the landscape, from rock carvings to monumental land art. Yet while over two-thirds of the planet is covered by water, the realm beneath the surface has remained comparatively unexplored as a site of artistic intervention.
Jason deCaires Taylor (b1974) is widely regarded as the founder of the underwater museum movement. An award winning sculptor, environmentalist and professional underwater photographer, he has spent the past two decades establishing sculpture parks and museums beneath the waves, submerging more than 1,200 living artworks across the world’s oceans and seas.
His installations address urgent contemporary themes, including the climate emergency, environmental activism and the regenerative capacity of nature. Functioning simultaneously as artworks and artificial reefs, the sculptures provide habitat for marine life while reflecting on human fragility and our evolving relationship with the marine environment. His figures are frequently drawn from local communities, foregrounding their connection to their own coastal landscapes and reinforcing the social dimension of his practice.
Taylor’s work is a collaboration with nature. By using low carbon, pH neutral materials designed to be colonised, the surrounding environment transforms the artworks. Each sculpture is effectively an artificial reef that provides new habitat spaces for a variety of marine life whilst drawing tourists away from natural, fragile areas. The works, which are assimilated by the sea, send a message of regeneration and hope at a time of significant threats to our marine world.
Source: underwatersculpture.com