Enormous underwater statue represents the plight of islands battling climate change

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The underwater girl represents the burden of the effects of climate change the next generation of small islanders will have to face (Jason DeCaires Taylor)

The title of the piece refers to the Greek mythological titan Atlas who held up the celestial spheres on his shoulders. The piece reportedly symbolises the burden of climate change which will primarily be borne by the future generations of many small island developing states such as the Bahamas. This particular piece of Taylor’s was commissioned by the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) in honour of its founder, Sir Nicholas Nuttal.

According to Taylor’s website, his underwater sculptures are constructed using sustainable PH-neutral materials which encourage the settlement and growth of new coral recruits, creating artificial reefs on his artworks for marine life to inhabit. The sculptures are also designed to draw tourists away from ecologically-sensitive and over-stressed natural reefs. Although Taylor’s highly-detailed sculptures, fashioned from high-density concrete, are designed to last for hundreds of years, they lose their finer features after several years submerged under the ocean as their slightly porous surfaces slowly become colonised by corals, algaes and marine life.

Taylor has submerged hundreds of ghostly sculptures in barren, shallow waters throughout the world to create more awareness of environmental issues such as water pollution, over-fishing and global warming. His underwater works include a man sitting at a typewriter, a ring of children holding hands, and one of his most ambitious projects, the Silent Evolution, consisting of 400 life-size human sculptures which was designed to attract marine life and coral recruits on a large scale.

See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/1643/Enormous+underwater+statue+represents+the+plight+of+islands+battling+climate+change


'Inertia', Punta Nizuc, Mexico (2011) depicts a man on a couch watching television, ignorant of the environmental crisis surrounding him. (Jason DeCaires Taylor)

[djean111]

1. I love his work.

[appalachiablue]

2. Incredible artworks. Thanks. I love the Bahamas & Caribbean..

[Judi Lynn]

3. The new sculpture is wonderful. So glad he did this.

His wonderful large group near Cancun grows more fascinating day by day, always changing. It looks as if the fish most clearly love it, and seek haven among the people.

Hope he never will run out of interest in creating these amazing, mind-boggling pieces which not only fascinate human beings, but create much needed shelter, and communities for sea creatures who've been having a hard time of it due to lethal disrespect of some for the world they are hard at work destroying.

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Love the ribbon-cutting ceremony!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_06Qe9uNFl04/TN2ERJOoc_I/AAAAAAAADLM/MJZV1Df6tLg/s1600/jason+8.jpg

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