Sea Sculptures of the Underwater Museum

Around the world are a few unusual sculpture museums. In order to gain entry to the museums, you must first put on your swimming gear and grab a snorkel or dive tank. This is because the museums are under the sea.

Art Works or Artificial Reefs?
The creator of the underwater museums, Jason de Caires Taylor, designs his sculptures with the intention of forming artificial reefs for sea life. The statues are made with PH neutral casting cement, which means that they will not poison the water or the fish, and will not degrade quickly in sea water. Taylor places his underwater museums in areas where reefs have been destroyed by storms, creating new homes for corals, fish and other sea life.
The statues of Taylor's underwater museums serve two purposes; to attract tourists and art lovers to the area and to create a home for fish, sea weed and other reef life. Many of the sculptures have holes drilled into the cement, creating nooks and crannies for fish and crustaceans to create a home for themselves. Over time, the statues get covered with sea weed and molluscs. Taylor has recorded this "evolution" of his artworks with photographs, enjoying the fact that although he may be finished with the artwork, nature continues to add its own art works to the statues.

Above: Jason de Caires Taylor's "Vicissitudes" in Grenada, West Indies. This sculptural art work shows a group of people standing in a circle holding hands. The figures face outwards from the circle, creating the sensation that they are protecting something within the circle. The underwater statues are life-sized, having been cast from the bodies of real people. [source]

Above: A swimmer discovers one of Taylor's underwater sculptures in Grenada. The beauty of these art works is that the experience of discovery is different for each person. Because the statues are evolving and slowly becoming part of the reef, what one person sees today might be very different from what someone else might see next month. [source]

Above: These three photographs show, from left, an old man from Cancun, Mexico, who was the model for the underwater sculpture shown in the middle photograph. The photograph on the right shows the underwater statue after a few years, covered with seaweed, providing an excellent home for reef life. [source]

Above: Taylor's statues on land, waiting to be submerged in the sea. When posed like this, the groups of statues begin to resemble a coral reef. Taylor's underwater museum is so far one of the most unique reef conservation methods that man has attempted. [source]

A Sculptured Society Living Under the Sea
The underwater museum in Cancun, Mexico was created in 2009 when Taylor installed several life size statues near the Manchones reef. There are now over 450 submerged sculptures in the region. These underwater statues are based on regular people living in and around Cancun, Mexico. The figures are sculpted to show them doing day-to-day activities such as riding a bicycle or watching TV. The underwater statues have a surreal nature about them; they seem to be average people frozen for eternity below the sea, standing silently as they are visited by tourists and art enthusiasts.

Above: "Anthropocene" in Cancun, Mexico. This large sculpture shows a man curled up on the bonnet of a VW Beetle. The sculpture has several holes drilled into the windows that allow fish to enter the hollow interior of the statue. The reef was partially destroyed by storms, so the sculptures were created as a place for fish and other sea creatures to live. [source]

Above: "Inertia" in Punta Nizuc, Mexico. This sculptural art work shows an obese man watching TV with a plate of fast food on his lap. Like the VW Beetle sculpture, the TV set has holes drilled into it, which allow fish to enter the hollow interior of the sculpture. [source]

Above: A collection of statues in the underwater museum. Crowds of statues like this make excellent artificial reefs, attracting fish and plant life that make the art works into their homes. This picture was taken shortly after the statues were installed, before the seaweed and limpets start to add their own creative touch to the art. [source]

Above: Over time, coral begins to grow over the statues, transforming the underwater sculptures into living art works. These art works are constantly changing as the reef continues to absorb the statues, making the art a part of the reef environment. [source]

Above: Each statue gets its own natural decoration as the reef grows over it. The different types of corals, sponges and sea weeds add pattern and texture to these living art works. [source]

Taylor's underwater museums are a truly beautiful combination of art and conservation. The artificial reefs made of human statues give people an inspiring experience while offering natural reef life a safe home. Visit Taylor's website for more information on his underwater museums.

Read More on Art-Sci:

10 Exquisite Photographs of Wild Animals

Funny Underwater Photographs of Dogs Swimming

Painting with Wine, a Tipsy Art Style

The Best Photorealistic Drawings

The Cheesiest Thing You'll See Today

Beautiful Butterfly Tattoo Designs

Butterflies are delicate flying insects with colorful wings. The insect undergoes a process called metamorphosis, in which the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. This process of change has popularized the butterfly as a symbol in art, signifying transformation, rebirth and a lifting of the heart.

The Meaning of Butterfly Tattoos
Butterflies are often used as a visual symbol to mark a major change in a person's life. Because of the metamorphosis process, butterflies symbolize the struggle of change and transformation, and the beauty that results from such a struggle. In every way, the simple existence of a butterfly is a sign of success - the creature has had to survive a number of ordeals to remain alive.
In ancient cultures, butterfly designs were used to embody the soul or the mind as a symbol of spiritual enlightenment. A butterfly emerging from its cocoon symbolizes a shedding of physical burdens while discovering a person's own personal freedom. A flying butterfly symbolizes lightness of heart, freedom of spirit and a gentle beauty.
Butterflies are associated with femininity and are used in tattoo designs as a symbol of elegance, beauty and allure. Women are very aesthetic creatures, which means that they appreciate the beauty that they find in life. The decorative nature of butterfly wings is considered beautiful by many women, who choose butterfly tattoo designs not only for their symbolism, but for the simple beauty of these winged creatures.

Above: This incredible tattoo design uses a number of design tricks to create a stunning tattoo. First, the tattoo artist has used contrast between black areas and light colors. The dark outlines make the colors on the wings stand out. Secondly, the shading on the wings is natural and appealing, giving the finished tattoo design a professional quality. Thirdly, the tattoo artist has used a simple but effective trick to make the tattoo seem to stand out against the skin, as though it is a real, 3-dimensional butterfly sitting on the girl's shoulder; he's added a shadow. The shadow gives the design depth, tricking the eye into believing that there is a small amount of distance between the edge of the butterfly wing and the girl's body. [source]

Above: This full back tattoo uses a tribal design style for a clear, simple effect. The butterfly wing design is built using only black shapes that outline empty areas of skin. The result is an elegant tattoo design that has a darker, heavier feeling than a delicately colored tattoo would. In a way, this is the gothic cousin of the fairy-styled butterfly tattoo. [source]

Above: The tattoo artists has given this dragon butterfly wings to create a fantasy creature that is colorful and unusual. The blue of the body stands in contrast to the reds and greens on the butterfly wings. [source]

Above: This butterfly tattoo design uses fantasy patterns as decorations on the wings. The finished result is a colorful, interesting tattoo design that is fun to look at. As a symbol this butterfly tattoo reveals the fun-loving nature of the girl who owns the tattoo, symbolizing a love of art, color and spirituality. [source]

Above: The artist has included tiny details in this butterfly tattoo design, even paying attention to the natural shape of the body of the insect. The contrasting colors of blue and yellow add visual interest to the butterfly tattoo. In Japan, if a butterfly flies into your room, it's a sign that someone you love will visit you soon. [source]

Above: This skull butterfly tattoo design is a hybrid of symbols. While butterflies can symbolize the spirit and new beginnings, skulls represent death and endings. In a way, the symbolism works, because in order for something to be "reborn", it must first die. Personal transformation is a process of one state of being ending so that a new state of being can emerge, similar to the caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly. [source]

Above: This cute butterfly tattoo is based on a hippy doodle and includes a wealth of symbolism in the form of eyes, hearts, ladybugs, a yin yang, a peace sign and a sun and moon. The design is based on the client's own drawing, which gives this butterfly tattoo a highly personal meaning. [source]

Above: This butterfly tattoo design has a devilish essence to it. The tattoo artist has added horns to the butterfly's wings and used fiery colored inks. In mythology and fairy tales, winged creatures such as fairies were often beautiful and a bit dangerous. This butterfly tattoo perfectly captures the essence of these devilish fairy tale creatures. [source]

Beautiful Butterfly Tattoos

Butterflies are a very versatile subject for tattoo designs. Their shape is easily recognizable in silhouette, which means that butterfly designs can be stylized and transformed while still retaining the beauty of their natural form. Butterfly tattoos can be inked into the skin anywhere on the body, though the most popular places for butterfly tattoos are the shoulders, lower back, neck and chest.

Butterfly tattoo designs are very popular, which means that there are a lot of people out there with tattoos of butterflies. If you're considering getting a butterfly tattoo, try to personalize the design in some way. Perhaps include the initials of people you love in the design of the wings, or combine the design elements of the butterfly with those of another creature, symbol or element. For example, if you consider yourself a fiery person, perhaps design the butterfly wings so that they appear to be made of flames. Or if you enjoy reading and writing, make the butterfly wings appear to be pages out of a book. Because butterfly tattoos are so popular, it's fairly easy to end up with a design that is similar to someone else's. This is why it is important to create a butterfly tattoo design that is customized to your own needs.

Above: This full back tattoo of butterfly wings uses natural shapes, patterns and colors to create an organic looking design. This reveals that the wearer of the tattoo has a love of nature while still enjoying flights of fantasy; she's given herself fairy wings. [source]

Above: This stylized tattoo design uses elegant lines to create an elegant and feminine butterfly tattoo. Even though the artist has added swirls to extend the design outwards, the silhouette of the butterfly is still easy to recognize. The butterfly, along with the swirls, creates a feeling of lightness. This adds to the sensation of freedom that is associated with butterfly tattoos. [source]

Above: Tiger tattoos represent strength and masculinity, whereas butterfly tattoos represent spirituality and femininity. When combined, butterflies and tigers create an interesting balance between the male and female elements of the human soul. Psychologist Sigmund Freud believed in the Animus and Anima, the male and female halves of the psyche. Such an image balances the essences of Animus and Anima. [source]

Above: This clever tattoo design is based on a Photoshop animal hybrid art work. An elephant's ears have a similar shape to butterfly wings, making this animal combination an attractive success. The resulting symbolism is interesting. Elephants generally symbolize remembrance and steadfastness; meanings that stand in stark contrast to the symbolism of butterflies. [source]

Above: Butterflies can make a fun tattoo design for a girl, symbolizing joy and lightheartedness. The above butterfly tattoos use the natural patterns found on butterfly wings, though butterfly tattoo designs can also be fantastic creations of patterns and color. [source]

Read More on Art-Sci:

Beautiful Tattoo Designs for Girls

Flower Tattoo Design Ideas

Funny Underwater Photographs of Dogs Swimming

Incredible Tattoo Designs

Photoshop Turns Skinny Celebrities into Famous Fatties

The Symbolism and Styles of Dragon Tattoos

Ernst Haeckel Draws a Psychedelic World

Ernst Haeckel was a 19th century artist, philosopher and professor who had a deep interest in the natural world. His beautifully detailed illustrations of sea creatures, insects, plants and animals have survived over a century of change and are still hailed as among the best nature illustrations that exist to this day.

Photography vs Psychedelic Illustrations
The art of photography has existed for centuries, though not as we know it today. As early as the 4th and 5th centuries BC, Chinese and Greek philosophers and mathematicians described pinhole cameras. By the late 19th century, more sophisticated cameras were in use. These cameras often produced blurry images that were either over- or under-exposed, so up until the early 20th century, illustrations were the best way for scientists to share images of their findings with other biologists. These illustrations were used to identify and differentiate species of animals. Ernst Haeckel earned a name for himself for his highly detailed, intricately constructed illustrations of the natural world.

Above: Ernst Haeckel often colored his illustrations, a technique that allowed other naturalists to imagine not just the shape and texture of the creature, but its color patterns too. During the 19th century, photographs were produced in black and white, which meant that color illustrations were valued over monotone photographs. [source]

Above: Orchidae, depicting several orchid flower species. Haeckel often drew collections of animals or plants of the same species, showcasing both the similarities and differences between the different breeds. [source]

Above: Ernst Haeckel's illustrations were highly prized for their level of detail. Many nature artists of the time would simply have drawn a rough sketch of this sea creature, unlike Haeckel who has drawn every tiny detail. [source]

Natural Psychedelic Design
It's unlikely that Haeckel's intention was to create psychedelic art works. As a biologist and naturalist, Haeckel simply wanted to record the world as he saw it, as a collection of intricate patterns and subtle shades. But repetitive patterns create the basis of psychedelic art, so Haeckel's illustrations have unintentionally become mind-boggling art works.

Above: Many of Haeckel's drawings are of sea creatures such as anemones. With their repetitive patterns and intricate details, these creatures are the perfect subjects for psychedelic, alienish art works. [source]

Above: Ernst Haeckel's illustrations often have an otherworldly feel. The creature in the picture above could easily feel at home on an alien planet, yet unusually enough, it calls Earth its home. [source]

Above: Another of Haeckel's illustrations that shows several different breeds of the same specie. In all of his art works, Haeckel included as much detail as he possibly could, making his drawings the first truly accurate recordings of many creatures.

Ernst Haeckel died on August 9, 1919, leaving behind hundreds of nature illustrations. Nearly a century after his death, his drawings are still celebrated as being some of the most detailed and attractive biological illustrations in the world.

Read More on Art-Sci:

10 Where's Waldo Puzzles
Animal Owners Tattoo Their Pets
Funny Photoshop Head Swaps
Incredible Tattoo Designs
Photoshop Machine Animals: a Love Story of Nature & Technology
Sam Spratt has PAINTED ALL THE MEMES!

10 Exquisite Photographs of Wild Animals

Nature holds a wealth of beauty and wonder that every once in a while, a photographer manages to capture in a single frame. Wild animals are a source of fascination for human beings - their lives may be harsher in some ways, but in many ways they embody a sense of freedom that people crave.

Above: "Zen Fox" by thrumyeye. Such a peaceful moment is rare in wild animals, who are generally alert and wary of danger. The features of the fox's face are sharper than the background areas, a technique that draws the eye to the focal point - the face. [source]

Above: Flamingos sleep while standing, tucking their heads under a wing for protection from the elements. In the nature photograph above, the photographer has captured the sleeping flamingo beautifully. By emphasizing the yin yang nature of the pose, the photographer has added a sense of balance and peace to the picture. [source]

Above: This photographer has caught this tiger in an almost human pose, as though the tiger is pulling a face, not just simply licking his paw. By personifying the animal subject, the photographer encourages empathy in the viewer. [source]

Above: This white lion is rare, but isn't a true albino. Most big cat species have a genetic strain that once in a while produces a pure white animal. If this lion was an albino, its eyes would be pink. [source]

Above: Photographers are often so focused on their animal subjects that they ignore the animal's natural habitat. This photographer has chosen to exhibit the polar bear as part of its environment. The unusual shape of the ice combined with the beautiful colors add to the natural beauty of the polar bear. [source]

Above: This photographer is aware of the value of space within an image, giving the cute squirrel plenty of room to own this photograph. [source]

Above: An octopus in its aquatic environment, lit naturally by rays of sunlight shining through the water. The semi-translucent nature of the octopus's tentacles add to the feeling that the octopus is glowing. [source]

Above: Nature photography isn't always just a way to capture an amazing moment in time. Sometimes, the most effective photographs reveal a relationship between the animals and the photographer. In the picture above, the swans are angry to discover the photographer in their territory. The photographer has expressed his fear of the swans by capturing them with an upward angle, which makes the birds seem much larger than they actually are. [source]

Above: Young elephants are very playful, often running about while waving their trunks in the air. This photograph is an example of personification - humans recognize the open-mouthed expression on the animal's face as a smile. [source]

Above: One of nature's rarities, the glass winged butterfly. This beautiful creature is beautiful when set in contrast to colorful flowers, as in the photograph above. [source]

Read More on Art-Sci:

10 Amazing Cake Designs

Bling gone Mad: The World's Weirdest Jewelry

Flower Tattoo Design Ideas

Funny Underwater Photographs of Dogs Swimming

The Best Photorealistic Drawings

The Funny Photoshop Animal Hybrids of the Digital Zoo

The Best Photorealistic Drawings

Photorealism is an art form in which artists create drawings or paintings that look like photos. However photorealistic a drawing may be; the artist's personality will leak into the art work, giving the finished result a unique essence of its own.

Fantastic Photorealistic Drawings

Truly fantastic photo realistic drawings use a combination of perspective, proportion and lighting to create a realistic effect. If any of these design elements are not adhered to, the finished work will not withstand close scrutiny. Shading and highlights are especially important, as they define the 3D realism of the drawing. If the shading is not smooth, the drawing looks less like a photo and more like an art work.

Above: Jono Dry is a young artist from South Africa who draws photo realistic drawings based on his own photos. With no artistic training, Jono is an example of true raw talent and artistic passion. [source]

Above: Another example of Jono Dry's photorealistic pencil drawings. Both of the above art works are from a series of nudes celebrating the beauty of the female form. Dry's realistic figures stand in stark contrast to their black backgrounds, a style that emphasizes the effect of light on skin. [source]

Photorealistic Drawings as Home Decor

Photo realistic art works are quickly becoming popular media online, and as a result, many prints of photorealistic drawings are finding their way onto online shopping sites like Etsy.com. These interesting pictures of photographs are fast replacing actual photographs as home decor, as a photorealistic drawing of a portrait or favorite photograph is visually more interesting than the actual photograph.

Above: Linda Huber's photorealistic pencil drawing of Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David. The art work includes the imperfections in the weathered sculpture, such as nicks and scratches. [source]

Above: Another photorealistic pencil drawing from Linda Huber, this time of a lightbulb. Glass is difficult to draw realistically, because it is both translucent and reflective. Huber is an expert at manipulating the eye into believing that what it is actually seeing is a photograph. [source]

Above: A beautiful photorealistic animal portrait of a cat, drawn in pencil and graphite. Fur is extremely difficult to draw photo realistically, yet artist Paul Lung seems to have discovered the secret of drawing convincing hair. [source]

Above: Another photorealistic animal portrait by Paul Lung. The use of highlights and shadows creates an image that seems almost 3D, with a clarity usually only found in high quality photos. [source]

Read More on Art-Sci:

Animal Owners Tattoo Their Pets

Banksy Tattoos Combine Graffiti with Body Art

Funny Photoshop Animals are Almost Human

Internet Meme Graffiti

Paintings by Elephants

Stunning Surreal Photoshop Art

Incredible Tattoo Designs

The art of tattoos has become increasingly popular over the last two decades, with about 36% of 18-25 year olds sporting at least one tattoo. While many tattoo artists simply use designs from books and portfolios, some tattoo artists go above and beyond, creating distinctive artistic styles that result in incredible tattoo designs.

Amazing Tattoo Designs

The difference between a mediocre tattoo and an incredible tattoo is in the quality of the design and the level of the tattoo artist's skill. Great tattoos have clear lines, smooth shading and correct proportions. When these three design elements are in balance, the result is a pleasing piece of body art. The best tattoo designs don't necessarily need to be photo realistic or filled with color; even a linear tattoo design in black ink can be pleasing to the eye. The composition of the design, the position of the tattoo on the body and the balance of the design elements all contribute to whether a tattoo is a work of art or not.

Above: An incredible photo realistic tattoo of a woman's eye. Italian tattoo artist Alex De Pase uses beautiful shading techniques to achieve the effect of photo realism, and has included flower petals to give the finished tattoo design a surrealist effect. The pink shades of the flower petals can be seen in the pink of the woman's eye shadow. This creates a feeling of balance in the design. [source]

Above: This tattoo artist has inked an owl into the skin in such a way that it looks like an oil painting. The effect is tricky to achieve, as the brushstrokes in the tattoo design have to be created with the vibrating needle of the tattoo gun. The result is a dramatic art work inked into the skin. [source]

Above: This tribal tattoo design uses symmetry and clear outlines to create balance. The design is based on birds' wings and works with the shape of the woman's arms and wrists. Even though the tattoo design is fairly simple, the clear, smooth outlines, near-perfect shading and symmetry make this an amazing tattoo design. [source]

Above: A cute cartoon tattoo by Jesse Smith that uses clear outlines and contrasting colors to create depth and visual interest. The tattoo artist edited the design to make it appear that the worm to the left of the image is about to eat the guy's nipple. [source] See a funny Photoshop caricature of tattoo artist Jesse Smith.

Tattoo Art as a Symbol of Freedom

Tattoo art has limitations that are not found in many other art forms. The smaller the design, the less detail there can be in the tattoo design, because over time, the ink will spread under the skin, slowly turning the art work into a mess of color. Tattoo designs can be distorted by the shape of a body part, and the movement of the human canvas. So even though tattoos have become a symbol of personal freedom and choice, the art form itself is fairly limited.

Above: A tattoo of this size is incredibly difficult to create, especially on an area made of cartilage, like the ear. The skull tattoo in this woman's ear is an exceptional art work because of the amount of detail achieved at this size. The artist has used white tattoo ink to highlight parts of the skull. [source]

Above: This full back tattoo of the Indian God Ganesh is colorful and attractive. The tattoo design incorporates the busy, almost animated nature of Indian art works while still keeping the subject of the design recognizable. [source]

Above: Another truly amazing tattoo design by Alex de Pase. The tattoo artist has combined photo realism with paisley and other decorative elements, finishing off the art work with splashes of color that are reminiscent of a watercolor painting. This portrait tattoo is reminscent of the sugar skull designs used in Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration known in English as Day of the Dead. [source]

  

Above: This incredible tattoo design uses the shape of the hand in the design, especially in the knuckle area. The effect is a sci-fi styled art work with a fantasy flavor. [source]

Read More on Art-Sci:

5 Funny Art Installations

Gulp! Swallowed Objects Revealed by X Rays

Mythological Creatures Displayed in Japanese Museum

Recycled Kitchen Utensils Become Art

Tattoos That are Invisible in Daylight

The Symbolism and Styles of Dragon Tattoos