July and August 2019 saw the installation of two underwater sculptures by Brian Robinson, Migration of the Mantas and Bywa (‘water spout’), in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.

Robinson was one of a group of artists commissioned to create artworks as part of the Whitsundays Reef Recovery and Public Art Project. The project was designed and delivered by Reef Ecologic, a company specialising in innovative solutions to environmental challenges facing tropical marine ecosystems.

The commissioned artworks are designed to enhance the visitor experience of the Whitsundays following the damaged caused by Cyclone Debbie in 2017. Five artworks in total have been installed to date by Robinson, Adriaan Vanderlugt, and Col Henry. Migration of the Mantas is located approximately 4 metres below the surface of the water in Manta Ray Bay and Bwya is semi-submerged in an intertidal zone in Horseshoe Bay, Bowen.

Migration of the Mantas comprises a fever of six manta rays, each approximately 2 metres in width and 1.8 metres in length, swimming in formation fabricated from glass reinforced concrete. The design detail cast into the surface of the rays is by Ngaro artist Nicky Bidju Pryor, ensuring a strong connection with a Traditional Owner group of the area.

Bywa is a 4-metre high funnel-shaped aluminium waterspout sculpture that incorporates a multitude of sea creatures local to the area, including butterfly fish, coral trout, epaulette shark, mangrove jack, stingray, turtle, and wobbegong shark, to name a few. These wrap around the form and were selected through input from the Bowen community.

Through both artworks, Robinson continues his interest in exploring the nautical water-world that courses around his home in the Torres Strait as well as surrounding the country and the globe.  For him, the oceans bring with them a cross-current of ideas, beliefs and cultural practices that intersect with ancient traditions and modern histories.

Brian Robinson and CREATIVEMOVE would like to thank Reef Ecologic, Nicky Bidju Pryor, Stainless Aesthetics, Pop Concrete, DCO Consulting, David Edge Marine Contracting, Whitsunday Mooring and Marine Constructions, and Concrete Products Australia.

This project was made possible by joint funding from the Queensland and Australian Governments.