Deep Blue Art

Jason Taylor is an artist who is creating life from art, as opposed to life imitating art.

Sculptures of real people are submerged off the coast of Cancún, Mexico. Corals, sponges, and other sea life grow on the sculptures. Nature transforms these works of art, adding color and texture. You don’t have to be a SCUBA diver or fly to Mexico to see them. Artist Jason deCaires Taylor will feature a photography exhibit of these underwater sculptures at the Aquarium of the Pacific from April 30 through June 30, 2014.

Taylor grew up in Europe and Asia and spent much of his time in the water exploring the reefs of Malaysia. He graduated from the London Institute of Art. Blending his two passions together has allowed Taylor to create some of the most unusual art in the world. In 2006 he founded the first underwater sculpture park off the coast of Grenada in the West Indies. It is now listed as one of the 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic. His latest sculptural works are submerged off the coast of Cancún, Mexico, at the MUSA (Museo Subacuatico de Arte). As described in his website, Taylor’s “site-specific, permanent installations are designed to act as artificial reefs, attracting corals, increasing marine biomass and aggregating fish species, while diverting tourists away from fragile natural reefs.” The sculptures are also made from a type of concrete which are beneficial to promoting the growth of coral.

Some photos of his work leave on imagining the Terracotta  Warriors of China, but it is actually his own creation of 500 various people living in or around his home near Cancun. There are also other stand alone sculptures, like the full scale replica of a VW Bug which was designed to be a home for lobsters in addition to being a work of art.

Many people are now planning their Winter Cancun trips specifically to visit the Museo Subacuatico de Arte, so take a few lingering moments while visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific on the second floor and see what awaits you in the blue.