Yet the sculpture park off Grenada is far more than an unusual tourist attraction, for there nature also encounters art and is changing it all the time. The interplay of objects and the surroundings creates a vibrant work. In the course of the next few years, a coral reef will form on the statues – thus getting the ecological system moving again.
A man sits at a table and taps away at a typewriter – that seems to be a completely humdrum situation. Yet if the man, the machine and the table have been cast out of a cement mixture and are now located seven metres under the surface of the water, open-mouthed astonishment is something the visitor should avoid. A mouthful of salt water could be the result.
The man at the writing table is “The Lost Correspondent”.© Jason Taylor
The man at the writing table is “The Lost Correspondent”, a figure by the artist Jason de Caires Taylor. This forms part of the world’s first underwater sculpture park. Taylor created the park in May 2006 on Moilinere Bay on the west coast of Grenada, an island in the Lesser Antilles. The 65 sculptures are installed across an area of 800 square meters on the seabed. Visitors need to dive to be able to view the works. The figure farthest below the surface is almost eight meters underwater.
Mystical view
The underwater sculpture park facilitates a completely new experience of art. Instead of pacing along the endless corridors of a museum, here visitors in bathing things, swimming vigorously, approach through clear sea water. The number of perspectives from which a work can be observed is almost inexhaustible. The view is also unexpected: under water, the sculptures look 25 percent larger than they actually are.
“Sienna”, a woman kneeling on the seabed and consisting of no more than a few metal billets. © Jason TaylorThose wanting to take a peek without either a snorkel or an oxygen cylinder can have themselves taken out to the figures aboard a glass-bottomed boat. And there the adventure starts. A mysterious sight unfolds before the onlookers as the figures appear as if from nowhere. And nothing remains immobile: The sculptures seem to change depending on the play of light and perspective. The water depth, weather conditions and current determine the variation of the colors.
A detached experience of art
Even after a short while, the visitor feels surrounded by figures. They lie on their backs on the seabed, their eyes closed, and are either exposed or covered by sand. One sculpture on a cement bicycle seems to be rushing down a steep coral reef. An uncanny lady in a large hat emerges from a cloud of sand. Lastly, the underwater visitor reaches the most imposing sculpture of all: 26 life-size figures standing in a circle, looking outwards and holding hands. Around them swim gorgeously coloured fish and sea turtles. The scene seems to hail from a vanished world and another era. The scene under the water sharpens one’s perception. The magic of the dive is still further strengthened by the motion, and the feeling of being disembodied further strengthened.
The sculpture park off Grenada is far more than an unusual tourist attraction, for there nature also encounters art and is changing it all the time. © Jason TaylorNature becomes art
Exposed to their surroundings, the figures themselves change and also redefine the underwater landscape. Deposits form and plants and animals use these as their bases. The works of art develop into artificial coral reefs. Crabs, fish and sea urchins populate faces and bodies. Art thus becomes nature and nature, art. The two are melded in the ecological process. The sculptures will assume a different identity within a few weeks.
Take “Sienna”, for example, a woman kneeling on the seabed and consisting of no more than a few metal billets. The water can stream unimpeded through her body, thus creating a habitat for organisms of all sorts. The figure develops further on account of the organisms that populate it. Another work with the ironic title “The Un-Still Life” is the only sculpture that does not take human form. This represents a still life: a vase, a bowl and pieces of fruit stand on a table, all in cement. In contrast to the accepted notion of a still life, that “stays still”, “The Un-Still Life”. It is a work in progress.
"Zoya", "Fall from Grace", "Aqua multi" © Jason TaylorNext destination: Italy
Sculptor Jason Taylor already has plans for a new series of sculptures. This time, they are to be erected both under the water and on land. The venue will be in the Italian province of Crotone in the south-east of the country. The coastline between La Castella and Capo Colonna offers a myriad underwater world that lures numerous divers. Yet much remains to be done before the first private view in Italy. Taylor is creating the new figures in his London studio. He is experimenting this time with such materials as glass and resin that break the light. These will lend the second underwater sculpture park some brilliant colored reflections. Art lovers and divers have reason to be excited.
Jason de Caires Taylor – From a Q & A session
Jason de Caires Taylor - sculptor, passionate diver and photographer. © Jason TaylorWhen I open my eyes in the morning, I think about what I am going to eat for breakfast and possibly lying in bed for another 10 minutes. I am an outgoing hard-working person and have chosen my profession, because I know I am good at what I do, which gives me real sense of achievement. What I love most about my job is photographing my work and seeing nature interact with the sculptures. And I get annoyed when people anchor their boats on top of my statues. I am especially proud of my girlfriend who supported me through thick and thin. And friends and family are the centre of my life. The best relaxation I find is a walk into the English countryside, because there I feel most comfortable surrounded by the raw elements. True beauty is for me looking out to sea when dawn breaks, because I think that an expansive visual landscape contents the soul. If I could rule about climate change for only one day, then I would start passing compulsory laws about leading a sustainable life. I am a very good chef, and a good meal for me is roast with a good wine and excellent company. I can laugh about the irony of tragedy. And I think a lot about leaving the city, but not too much about London transport. I cannot image a world without vision. But I could really do without pessimism. Luck in my eyes is people who have the courage to make it happen. After I have filled out this questionnaire, I will have a hot chocolate and go to sleep.