Artist Jim Naughten questions our fractured relationship with the natural world.
Mule Deer- Jim Naughten
Hi Jim, your work is really beautiful and fascinating. Can you tell us little about the inspiration and ideas behind the work?
I’ve tended to find inspiration in all aspects of life, childhood obsessions with natural history museums, history, archaeology, for example. My images are a way of exploring some of this subject matter. More recently I have been working in a more activist role as I am trying to raise awareness of the biodiversity crisis.
My last and current project both question our fractured relationship with the natural world. In addition to using the work for discourse I have been raising funds for Jane Goodall who gave a talk at my last exhibition.
Gibbons- Jim Naughten
How is the work produced?
I started out as a painter and ended up specialising in photography at art school. I worked as a commercial photographer for a while but eventually returned to making my own work using photography and photoshop to alter the images and make them more painterly and abstract. My current project uses ai, which is absolutely extraordinary. I expect it will become a bit more normalised in time. I am planning a return to painting as soon as I can. There’s been a long gap.
My photographs tend to be constructed and worked on over time, adding and subtracting from the composition and working on the treatment until I’m happy with the finished article. In that way it reminds me of painting, particularly with oil, and vice versa. I’ve never been a Cartier-Bresson like decisive moment photographer I The similarities are about colour, composition, form.
Cephalopod- Jim Naughten
Which photographers do you most admire and feel inspired by?
My first love was Diane Arbus, which reminded me of hearing punk for the first time. Electrifying. I realised photography could be a language and her images resonated powerfully for me. More recently I am inspired by Richard Mosse. His ‘Broken Spectre’ film left me shaken for days. I recently met Patrick Waterhouse who’s work I love and discovered he is now a stable mate at my London gallery.
Birds in Fog- Jim Naughten
What are the main aims you would like to achieve through your work?
I would like to bring peoples attention to the plight of wildlife and our broken relationship with the natural world. It’s in a desperate state. Its a very difficult subject to convey as we are so pre occupied with our own lives and its hard to ask people to change their behaviour, particularly with what we eat and how we consume. I try to engage people with eye catching images in the first instance.
Gibbon – Jim Naughten
Where has your work been exhibited?
I’ve had solo shows at the Wellcome collection, Imperial War Museum and Horniman museum in London and have been in group shows at the Royal Academy and National Portrait Gallery. I exhibit fairly regularly internationally and with my gallery in London ( Rebecca Hossack ) and have a show there in January, just around the corner now.
Zebra – Jim Naughten
What are you most looking forward to from taking part in AOH this winter?
It’s always great to have work on the walls and to have a chance to talk about it with people on a one to one basis. I really enjoy meeting local people and showing the work to a real mix of ages and backgrounds. I loved the camaraderie between the other artists and galleries on my street ( Queens Place ) in the summer AOH. Hopefully the winter one will be as enjoyable
See more of Jim’s work at:
Jim Naughten Studio
8 Queens Place, Hove, BN3 2LT