Joseph Paxton

Joseph Paxton has long been fascinated by the place of animals within our natural and cultural historical landscapes and the timeless connection, yet separation, we have with the animal world. His work drawing on mythology, allegory and these ancient ties invites us to contemplate our ‘human animal’ selves.

Paxton considers ideas of strength, vulnerability, fragility and the overarching theme of what it means to be a living being when the distractions of the material world are stripped away. His visceral use of materials creates forms and textures that echo those found within nature and hark back to the earliest methods of building.

Many of the works are cast into bronze, which he sees as a process of metamorphosis in which the original fragile work is completely destroyed during the moulding process, giving life to a more durable iteration of the form in bronze. The work created maintains the appearance of fragility whilst being strong and resilient, speaking of the juxtaposition of permanence and ephemerality.

Paxton exhibits widely throughout the UK and US and has works in private collections around the globe.

Read our Editorial Interview with Joseph Paxton