One of my very favorite artists is Jason deCaires Taylor. His underwater sculptures have long intrigued me. I can't WAIT to get underwater and see them. We've interviewed Jason about the Underwater Sculpture Park he created in Grenada.

Here's a video of the marine growth that is occurring on his sculptures there, as well as some information on New Sculptures and projects that Jason is working on.

La Jardinera de la Esperanza (The Gardener of Hope), depicts a young Latino girl lying on garden patio steps, cultivating a variety of plant pots. Once constructed, the sculpture will be sited four metres beneath the surface in the National Marine Park of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc. After they have been submerged the empty pots will be propagated with live coral cuttings taken from areas of the reef system damaged by storms and human activity. This technique, a well established procedure in reef conservation, rescues damaged coral fragments by providing a suitable new substrate.

The sculpture, a synthesis between art and science, conveys a message of hope and prosperity, portraying human intervention as positive and regenerating. The young Girl symbolizes a new, revitalized kinship with the environment, a role model for future generations. The interaction between the inanimate and living forms highlights a potential symbiotic relationship with the life systems of the underwater world.

Over the past few decades we have lost over 40% of our natural coral reefs. Scientists predict a permanent demise of 80% by 2050. The Gardner of Hope is designed to focus attention on this important, often forgotten, ecological issue.

Built into the base of the sculpture are specialized habitat spaces designed to encourage individual types of marine creatures such as moray eels, juvenile fish and lobsters.

Materials: Cement, sand, micro silica, fibre glass, ceramic tiles, live coral.
Size: 100height x 240width x 180cm depth.

Project sponsored and commisssioned:
Isla Mujeres Parque Nacional and Cancun Nautical Association

El Archivero de los Sueños (The Archive of Lost Dreams) depicts an underwater archive, maintained by a male registrar. The archive is a collection of hundreds of messages in bottles brought together by the natural forces of the ocean. The registrar is collating the individual bottles and categorising the contents according to the nature of each message - fear, hope, loss, or belonging.

Local and international communities from a broad spectrum of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds will be invited to provide the messages, which, it is hoped, will symbolize a unity in human dreams and emotions. It is also intended to document current values and aspirations for future generations to discover.

The sculpture will be placed within an area of the national marine park which has been severely damaged by hurricanes and tropical storms. The choice of location aims to draw the high number visitors to the region away from other sections of the reef system in order to facilitate its natural regeneration.

Materials: Cement, fibre-glass, glass and paper.
Size: 2m x 2m x1.5m cube. Figure 1.5m tall.
Start date: 1/12/08
Completion date: 1/02/09
Placement Location: Manchiones, Isla Mujeres.
Project sponsors:
Isla Mujeres Parque Nacional and Cancun Nautical Association

And...

Work commences on the second stage of the Mexican project

La Evolución Silenciosa (The silent evolution) is a monumental underwater sculptural installation planned for The National Marine Park of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc. Comprising of over 400 hundred permanent life-size sculptures the work will become one of the largest and most ambitious underwater artificial attractions in the world. La Evolución Silenciosa aims to usher in a new age of responsibility and sustainable tourism. It hopes to define the region as both progressive and forward thinking forming a catalyst of social change.

Working alongside creator Jason deCaires Taylor will be a team of artists, builders, marine biologists, engineers and scuba divers to complete the various parts of the installation.

For more information, please see:
http://www.underwatersculpture.com