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From art to artificial reefs

April 11th, 2011

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Naked Oceans Podcast

So, I have a thing about the beauty of the oceans. I’m convinced that finding ways to uncover the magnificence of the marine realm is one of the best ways overcoming the fact that most of the time the oceans and ocean life are out of sight and out of mind.

On the Naked Oceans podcast this month I grabbed the chance to interview two of my favourite underwater artists – a sculptor and a photographer.

I’ve been haunted (in a good way) by the underwater sculptures of Jason de Caires Taylor since I first saw them featured in the Guardian. His work blends thought-provoking sculptures with the very practical role of creating artificial reefs that provide home for marine life while also luring tourist divers away from natural reefs that need time and space to recover from the onslaughts of natural and manmade problems.

One of Jason’s latest projects, Silent Evolution, is a seabed gathering of 400 people – all cast from real people he picked from the local community in Mexico. They all seem to be thinking and waiting quietly for something and I love pondering what that might be.

One of my favourite pieces is The Collector, in which a man oversees a clutch of messages in glass bottles. Jason told me how he used his Dad as the model for this work because he wanted someone who looked like a desk clerk. (And the dog was cast from a real dead dog from the local crematorium).

Speaking with Jason was such a treat – what a nice man! I’ve not yet been lucky enough to visit Jason’s sculptures in person in Mexico and other spots around the Caribbean, but I can imagine they’re even more breathtaking in person.

I also got in touch with underwater photographer Brian Skerry after watching his TED talk. And he turned out to be another inspiring artist who, like Jason, was also a joy to talk to.

I caught Brian on the phone during one of his rare spells at home (he spends almost all his time in the field visiting exotic locations around the world – what a job) and we ended up chatting for an hour about his work including how he tries to capture a balance of both the beauty of the oceans with the problems they face. It was all fascinating and I felt terrible that so much great stuff ended up on my editing suite floor.

It was a great pleasure and a privilege to speak with Jason and Brian. They’re both doing great work in helping promote the oceans and getting people thinking a little more about what goes on down there and why it’s all so important.

Have a listen to my chat with Jason and Brian on this month’s Naked Oceans podcast.

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