Cayman Brac’s Lost City of Atlantis: Making an artist’s dream come true

Foots, creater of Lost City of
Atlantis

Friday, April 1, 2005

One artist’s dream to create his image of the Lost City of Atlantis is set to become a reality. Cabinet has given approval for a large, underwater, multi-piece sculpture by an artist living on Cayman Brac, who prefers to be known simply as “Foots”.

For over 2,000 years, Atlantis has captured minds and imaginations. Plato described it in detail in 360 BC as a utopian island-continent, with palaces, temples, harbours and docks. Though the fabled city is often dismissed as myth, many believe the story to be true and that Plato’s account of the city disappearing beneath the sea was an actual account of a natural disaster overwhelming an advanced civilization.

Foots told Cayman Net News that it has always been his dream to create his version of the Lost City. The scale of the project that Foots is building is huge, and his ambitious plans involve over 150,000 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 tonnes 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. Phase 1 presently takes up a great deal of space in the beachfront 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 centre 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 centre 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.

Cabinet approved the lost City of Atlantis on Tuesday 22 March. However, Cayman Net News has not been able to find out the details of the license from the Ministry of Tourism, despite requests, by press time. Foots, however, claimed that he has been given approval to do everything he has planned.

Minister for Communications, Planning, District Administration and IT, Ms Julianna O’Connor Connolly, who is also the First Elected Member for the Sister Islands, said, “I’m excited about this new tourism product. I think it can only enhance what we wish to offer here in the Sister Islands. The fact that it will be done in phases will encourage repeat visitors.”

“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.”

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