Jason deCaires Taylor

“I have been exploring the ocean since I was 8 years old and from an early age became fascinated by its endless possibilities, presenting both a physical space to explore and a mental place of escape. I have been interested in developing art projects using the underwater world ever since I was at Art College in the early 90s. At the time, I was very much influenced by the land art and earthworks movements and felt the ocean represented such a vast arena to further explore the boundaries of art. My studies were focused on creating landscape installations both in urban environments and coastal settings.”

Jason deCaires Taylor MRSS, born in 1974, is a British sculptor, environmentalist, and professional underwater photographer. Taylor was educated in Kent with further studies at Camberwell College of Arts Institute of London, where he graduated in 1998 with a B.A Honours degree in Sculpture and Ceramics.Scuba diving from the age of 18, he became a fully qualified scuba instructor in 2002.

He is best known for installing site-specific underwater sculptures that develop naturally into artificial coral reefs, which local communities and marine life depend on.The works are constructed using pH neutral, environmentally sensitive materials to instigate natural growth and the subsequent changes intend to explore the aesthetics of decay, rebirth and metamorphosis.

Taylor has received numerous sculpture and photography awards, is a member of The Royal Society of Sculptors, an Ocean Ambassador to DAN (Divers Alert Network), an Ocean Exemplar of The World Ocean Observatory and a featured TED speaker. He has been recognised for both creativity and inspirational leadership in recent years by Fast Company and Global Leaders Today. Taylor was awarded The Global Thinker Award by Foreign Policy and has been described as the Jacques Cousteau of the art world.

Taylor’s pioneering public art projects are examples of successful marine conservation and appreciation of the breathtaking beauty of the underwater world.

“I would say the ecological aspect has been one of the major driving forces for my work. Besides the practical benefits of creating marine habitats, the narrative of the works also concerns wider ecological and social issues like the anthropocene and our apathy to towards a rapidly changing planet. Once all the statues have metamorphosed into something else, only traces of humanity will live on. The relationship has been balanced; we are reminded that we too are not separate to the environment but an integral part of it. An ultimate inter-dependency with which could bring acceptance and hope. The otherworldly presence draws the viewer in with intrigue, a familiar face in a strange world, a bridge from which to explore a fundamental part of our planet. “

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