Dive Brief
SEAS IN SUNNY BAHAMAS
OCEAN ATLAS LIFTS SEVEN
W 14
e all know the Atlas of Greek mythology, a titan who held up the celestial spheres.
Now we have Ocean Atlas, sustaining the ceiling of the seas. This time the heavy lifting is handled by a young Bahamian girl immortalized in the environmentally friendly ‘stone’ of Jason deCaires Taylor’s latest sculpture, which was installed early October in shallows off the western shore of the Bahamas’ New Providence Island. This new sculpture is uniquely
different from Taylor’s earlier works for its immense size. From a shallow sandy seabed it rises over 16 feet (5m) and weighs in at six tonnes. Assembled underwater in sections
using an ambitious new technique developed and engineered by Taylor, the new underwater work will reflect a mirror image on the underside of the sea’s surface during low tide, and
Magazine
Top: Jason
deCaires Taylor with Camilla, his Bahamian
model. Above: The sculpture
was lowered in sections to its
underwater site near Nassau.
Ocean Atlas rises 16 feet (5m) from the bottom and weighs in at six tonnes.
is marked by a solar light and flag that flies over the site to aid marine navigation. Taylor says it’s the largest single
sculpture ever placed underwater, and we believe him. It’s in easy reach of divers and snorkelers and the glass bottom boats that will be busy from now on shuttling visitors to the site from nearby Nassau. The sculpture was commissioned
by the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF), which aims to create an underwater sculpture garden in honor of its founder Sir Nicholas Nuttall. Other sculptural works in place are by local artists Willicey Tynes and Andret John. The site also features an artificial reef trail designed by Reefball. With our oceans and reefs facing
the threats of overfishing, habitat loss, ocean acidification, global warming and water pollution, Ocean Atlas
symbolizes the burden we are currently asking future generations to carry and the collective responsibility we have to protect the oceans, Taylor says. Constructed of sustainable pH neutral
materials, the oversize sculpture creates an artificial reef for marine life to colonize, and its scale ensures the figure will remain highly recognizable even after substantial coral growth occurs. And if you’re thinking it’s improbable
for a young woman to carry this load, consider that Atlas has a formidable mother, who is the Oceanid, Asia, daughter of Oceanus and aquatic sea goddess Tethys. Surely they will look favourably upon Ocean Atlas. And for fans of Jason’s work, you’ll be interested to know he’s moved his studio to the Island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands where he’ll be working away at something new. Stay tuned. Taylor’s website is:
www.jasondecairestaylor.com
Photos: Jason deCaires Taylor
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62