The Lost City of Atlantis is a large, underwater, multi-piece sculpture by a local artist, known
simply as “Foots”. The artist had a dream... To create his version of the Lost City of Atlantis.
The scale of the project that Foots is building is huge, and his ambitious plans involve over
300,000 lbs of sculptures, which will be placed off the north shore of Cayman Brac in a large
sandy area, at a dive site called Radar Reef. The 51-year-old artist said his idea is not just to
produce a work of art, but to write story. He will tell the tale not in book-form, but with 75 tons of
crushed rock, sand and cement, and each new phase that he intends to add every four to six
months will be a different chapter. The materials he is using will last forever and the City will
also become an artificial reef, which will add to its interest as a dive site, he claims.
There are no drawings or renditions of the end product. The vision for the entire project is
inside Foots’ head, which evolves as he creates it, he said. The sculptures presently take up a
great deal of space in the beach-front yard of Foots’ home on the south side of the Brac. It
consists of the Archway of Atlantis, of which the two bases alone weigh 21,000 lbs each, the
Elders’ Way, a pathway lined with 5-foot temple columns, leading to the Inner Circle of Light.
This will be marked by eleven columns, in the center of which will stand the 2,600lb Sundial on
a 5,800 lb base. Phase 2, planned for June or July this year, will be the Pyramid of Atlantis,
which Foots estimates will be in excess of 40,000 lbs and will be the largest sculpture in the
Lost City. Because of its size and the difficulty in transporting it, this will have to be constructed
at the Creek Dock, he said.
In Foots’ story, the Eleven Elders were the ruling council of Atlantis. The Elders will stand
outside the Inner Circle throughout the City, waiting patiently, with their eyes closed and hands
clasped, for the day when their City will rise again above the sea. “Only then shall they enter
again the Circle of Light to once more rule the Great City of Atlantis,” he said. The Elders will
each take on the resemblance of a living person, and the identity of the first Elder will be
unveiled at the launching of Atlantis in mid April. The identities of the other ten are up for
auction, said Foots. People may bid for themselves or someone they know to become an
Elder of the Brac Atlantis, and details of this will be announced at a later date.
Eleven glass goblets will also be auctioned, with the date and time and details of the launch,
plus Foots’ signature, etched onto them. This will be done by local artists Mike Pietras and
Mitchum Sanford, who will also be producing 100 less expensive goblets to be sold at the
launch. All proceeds from the auction of Elder identities and goblets, plus sale of goblets, will
go towards the Cayman Brac Athletic Club. Foots will donate the glasses, and Sanford and
Pietras will donate their time.
In the center of one of the pillars is a void that will be filled with a time capsule. Newspapers of
the day will be among the things that will be sealed in the bronze tube for 20 years, said Foots.
For the practicalities of setting the pieces, Foots has built a barge capable of handling the
heaviest piece, and has invested in three lift bags, just one of which can carry 24,000 lbs, he
said. Foots said he has so far invested $20,000 into this project but is asking for nothing in
return. “How can you put a price on making a dream come true?” he asked. The only expense
to the Government will be help in moving the pieces, but he expects his creation to generate a
lot of tourism revenue. He also speculates that his sculpture might be used by movie-makers,
who spend millions of dollars to create underwater ruined cities.
“It’s the first of its kind,” said Foots. “One day, other people will try to duplicate, but there will
only be one original and it will be here on Cayman Brac.” So far, Foots has created over
300,000 lbs of sculptures, including columns, archways and the first of two 20-foot Pyramids of
Atlantis, which weighs 50,000 lbs. Phase One is already in position at a dive site called Radar
Reef off the north coast of the Brac. Phase Two is finished and ready to be sunk into position.
The reefs begin at the shoreline making it easy for underwater enthusiasts of any age to enjoy
the beautiful marine life and the recent addition of the Lost City of Atlantis is a wonderful new
scuba diving attraction. All year round the Cayman Islands offer warm water, great visibility,
warm weather, and natural beauty to bring visitors from around the world to enjoy the scuba
diving, snorkeling, nature trails, rock climbing, swimming, shell hunting, fishing, or just relaxing.
One of the greatest mythological cities in history - The Lost City of Atlantis, is now the one of
the newest dive sites in the Cayman Islands. The dive site “Atlantis,” is being constructed by
the local artist, who is producing a replica of the famed city below the sea for all divers to enjoy.
"I've always been fascinated with ruins, history and mythology and this project is a vision in my
mind, not from any other drawings or renditions, but simply from my own fantasy - my own
expression," he says. "I am very, very thankful to the local government for allowing me to fulfill
my dream, and I hope this will be my legacy - my gift to the world."
"Things are already covered in moss and are getting fleshed out, " he says. "There are cleaner
shrimp everywhere and they in turn will bring other forms of life to the site. There are also an
abundance of Sting Rays and Eagle Rays that are in the area," Foots says.
We invite you to meet the people of Atlantis and explore The Lost City. Dive through the
Archway into the Circle of Light. Read the writings on the Scriptures of the civilization lost. Let
your imagination guide you as you discover everything that Atlantis has to offer.
ORIGINAL TEXT FOR ARTICLES CREATED AND COPYRIGHT 2007 BY CAYMAN NET NEWS & OTHER NEWS/TOURISM SOURCES.
simply as “Foots”. The artist had a dream... To create his version of the Lost City of Atlantis.
The scale of the project that Foots is building is huge, and his ambitious plans involve over
300,000 lbs of sculptures, which will be placed off the north shore of Cayman Brac in a large
sandy area, at a dive site called Radar Reef. The 51-year-old artist said his idea is not just to
produce a work of art, but to write story. He will tell the tale not in book-form, but with 75 tons of
crushed rock, sand and cement, and each new phase that he intends to add every four to six
months will be a different chapter. The materials he is using will last forever and the City will
also become an artificial reef, which will add to its interest as a dive site, he claims.
There are no drawings or renditions of the end product. The vision for the entire project is
inside Foots’ head, which evolves as he creates it, he said. The sculptures presently take up a
great deal of space in the beach-front yard of Foots’ home on the south side of the Brac. It
consists of the Archway of Atlantis, of which the two bases alone weigh 21,000 lbs each, the
Elders’ Way, a pathway lined with 5-foot temple columns, leading to the Inner Circle of Light.
This will be marked by eleven columns, in the center of which will stand the 2,600lb Sundial on
a 5,800 lb base. Phase 2, planned for June or July this year, will be the Pyramid of Atlantis,
which Foots estimates will be in excess of 40,000 lbs and will be the largest sculpture in the
Lost City. Because of its size and the difficulty in transporting it, this will have to be constructed
at the Creek Dock, he said.
In Foots’ story, the Eleven Elders were the ruling council of Atlantis. The Elders will stand
outside the Inner Circle throughout the City, waiting patiently, with their eyes closed and hands
clasped, for the day when their City will rise again above the sea. “Only then shall they enter
again the Circle of Light to once more rule the Great City of Atlantis,” he said. The Elders will
each take on the resemblance of a living person, and the identity of the first Elder will be
unveiled at the launching of Atlantis in mid April. The identities of the other ten are up for
auction, said Foots. People may bid for themselves or someone they know to become an
Elder of the Brac Atlantis, and details of this will be announced at a later date.
Eleven glass goblets will also be auctioned, with the date and time and details of the launch,
plus Foots’ signature, etched onto them. This will be done by local artists Mike Pietras and
Mitchum Sanford, who will also be producing 100 less expensive goblets to be sold at the
launch. All proceeds from the auction of Elder identities and goblets, plus sale of goblets, will
go towards the Cayman Brac Athletic Club. Foots will donate the glasses, and Sanford and
Pietras will donate their time.
In the center of one of the pillars is a void that will be filled with a time capsule. Newspapers of
the day will be among the things that will be sealed in the bronze tube for 20 years, said Foots.
For the practicalities of setting the pieces, Foots has built a barge capable of handling the
heaviest piece, and has invested in three lift bags, just one of which can carry 24,000 lbs, he
said. Foots said he has so far invested $20,000 into this project but is asking for nothing in
return. “How can you put a price on making a dream come true?” he asked. The only expense
to the Government will be help in moving the pieces, but he expects his creation to generate a
lot of tourism revenue. He also speculates that his sculpture might be used by movie-makers,
who spend millions of dollars to create underwater ruined cities.
“It’s the first of its kind,” said Foots. “One day, other people will try to duplicate, but there will
only be one original and it will be here on Cayman Brac.” So far, Foots has created over
300,000 lbs of sculptures, including columns, archways and the first of two 20-foot Pyramids of
Atlantis, which weighs 50,000 lbs. Phase One is already in position at a dive site called Radar
Reef off the north coast of the Brac. Phase Two is finished and ready to be sunk into position.
The reefs begin at the shoreline making it easy for underwater enthusiasts of any age to enjoy
the beautiful marine life and the recent addition of the Lost City of Atlantis is a wonderful new
scuba diving attraction. All year round the Cayman Islands offer warm water, great visibility,
warm weather, and natural beauty to bring visitors from around the world to enjoy the scuba
diving, snorkeling, nature trails, rock climbing, swimming, shell hunting, fishing, or just relaxing.
One of the greatest mythological cities in history - The Lost City of Atlantis, is now the one of
the newest dive sites in the Cayman Islands. The dive site “Atlantis,” is being constructed by
the local artist, who is producing a replica of the famed city below the sea for all divers to enjoy.
"I've always been fascinated with ruins, history and mythology and this project is a vision in my
mind, not from any other drawings or renditions, but simply from my own fantasy - my own
expression," he says. "I am very, very thankful to the local government for allowing me to fulfill
my dream, and I hope this will be my legacy - my gift to the world."
"Things are already covered in moss and are getting fleshed out, " he says. "There are cleaner
shrimp everywhere and they in turn will bring other forms of life to the site. There are also an
abundance of Sting Rays and Eagle Rays that are in the area," Foots says.
We invite you to meet the people of Atlantis and explore The Lost City. Dive through the
Archway into the Circle of Light. Read the writings on the Scriptures of the civilization lost. Let
your imagination guide you as you discover everything that Atlantis has to offer.
ORIGINAL TEXT FOR ARTICLES CREATED AND COPYRIGHT 2007 BY CAYMAN NET NEWS & OTHER NEWS/TOURISM SOURCES.
| ATLANTIS CAYMAN BRAC TRADEMARK 2009-2010, CAYMAN BRAC, CAYMAN ISLANDS, B.W.I. ALL PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT 2009-2010, J. FOOTS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED |
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