Origin. Dawn lights

The third Bronze Prize went to an aquascape in which scenery of a valley was expressed with a distinctive atmosphere. While assuming that a super wide-angle lens would be used for photoshooting beforehand, a method of covering the left and right sides of the aquarium tank by rock walls and a method of making an arch with stones have become familiar by now. However, by creating an arch at a low position in a deep valley and making a path leading to the back under the arch slightly visible, an interesting visual effect is created. Even the reflection of aquatic plants on the surface of water looks like part of the composition, and this makes the central space clear and emphasizes a sense of perspective.

AJ: Tell us what you wanted to express with your layout work; layout theme, motif, ideas behind your winning work.
Over the last few years, I think I have matured as an aquascaper, which has led me to try to create aquariums with a very marked theme or stamp. My main intention was once again to give a lot of importance to the environment, to the atmosphere that surrounds the work. For this reason I kept the line of the previous year’s Twilight, African nights, where the title of the work situates the moment of the capture of the image. Origin. Dawn lights simply focuses the viewer on a certain time of day, the early hours of the morning, the lights of dawn. As for the subject matter, it was very clear in my head that I wanted to develop a cave style, I had never tried that concept before. The Spanish coast is full of cliffs that break into the sea, but there is a magical place “La playa de las catedrales” in the north of Spain. Without pretending to reproduce, it did allow me to focus on the concept of the aquarium to try to obtain the grandeur of a Christian cathedral, with its tall columns and vaulted ceilings. It was a very gratifying challenge to find solutions for a healthy planting of rotalas in the upper region, which was a key element. On the one hand it had not been done before and this would differentiate the aquarium from other similarly themed aquariums of the past (great masterpieces such as Fukada’s similarly themed aquariums). But more importantly, the reddish and orange tones of the rotalas were necessary to reproduce the atmosphere of the work. The study of colour became the backbone of the design.

AJ: What was the most difficult aspect of creating and maintaining this layout work?
Without a doubt, the great challenge was to develop a stone structure of such a size that it would not collapse under the weight, that it would reflect dynamism and curve, and that it would be able to house Amazonia inside it to allow the healthy development of the rotalas. I must point out that I failed again and again to find a way to give the structure the necessary curve and dynamics to transmit the erosion of the water, as well as to allow enough substrate to be housed inside. A semi-rigid scaffolding was the key to a collage technique in which small pieces of stone were attached to each of the structures, creating a “snakeskin” over the base. I created a total of 6 pieces which were then assembled inside the aquarium.

AJ: What fascinates or attracts you the most about planted aquarium hobby?
The planted aquarium hobby is undoubtedly my link to what I don’t have. I grew up surrounded by space and always with nature close by. However, with the arrival of university life and later work, it was the planted aquarium that allowed me to develop my love for animals and nature, in a limited space and in the interior of my urban flat. It is also essential to say that the planted aquarium has allowed me to expose an artistic facet that I have discovered over the years, and the IAPLC has had a major influence on this, since the enthusiasm to participate year after year forces me to start new projects that provide new experiences and opportunities to continue developing as an artist.