Jack Higham

I am a Margate based artist fearlessly exploring the weird and treacherous expanses of Fictional Zoology and Gothic Fantasy, merging the two in hyper-detailed Pen & Ink to present a worldbuilding exercise indebted to both Lovecraftian Mythology and Linnean Taxonomy. This twofold practise requires me to play the role of intrepid zoologist in addition to the monomaniacal illustrator, facilitating an exchange wherein the former encounters the latter’s chimeric creatures and scientifically realises them via empirical observation and taxonomic classification. With one foot in modern zoological study and the other rooted in the ancient mythologic past, I intend to elucidate that we cannot banish monsters from our world despite our increasingly infinitesimal quantification of it.

I have spent the last few years observing, cataloguing and illustrating the various species of the SuperFauna clade, a strange new breed of creature born of the recently discovered Kentish Monolith. This enigmatic artifact and its anomalous denizens are brought to life in ‘SuperFauna Monolith’, a multi-panel piece depicting several SuperFauna species in exquisite and obsessively meticulous detail. In addition to this body of work, I have created an online archive where those curious to learn more about SuperFauna and the Kentish Monolith can find scientific descriptions for each species as well as an interactive version of ‘SuperFauna Monolith’. Scan the QR code below to visit the SuperFauna Archive.

My degree show will be comprised of 7 drawings in addition to an accompanying online archive, which will be accessible via QR codes dotted around the install space. The main component of this installation is my most recent piece entitled ‘SuperFauna Monolith’, a vertical triptych made up of 3 x A1 panels of heavyweight, rough-textured watercolour paper that make up one cohesive image. This larger piece will take centre stage within the install space, acting as a focal point for the smaller drawings to branch out from. It will be roughly 178cm tall meaning much of the piece will above and below the viewer’s eyeline, encouraging more profound encounters with the work where viewers might have to crane their necks upwards or squat down to get a closer look.

The remaining 6 drawings are smaller studies of individual SuperFauna species, which will encompass ‘SuperFauna Monolith’ and allow the installation to expand horizontally. These studies are linked to the main piece both aesthetically and conceptually, being all part of a larger worldbuilding exercise. They will allow viewers a look at various SuperFauna species isolated from their environment, while ‘SuperFauna Monolith’ will facilitate the opposite.

Finally, the online archive will allow curious viewers to access each species’ scientific profile and learn about their biology, behaviours and ecological niches. Additionally, this archive will contain some of my short stories as well as an interactive version of ‘SuperFauna Monolith’, where tapping on an individual creature within the drawing will take you to its designated profile.