The intricate works in charcoal of Jonathan Delafield Cook (b. 1965) explore the intersection of art, science, and nature and reflect his vast curiosity, drawing from the rich tradition of natural history illustration.
Marine life forms the subject matter of Delafield Cook’s 2024 exhibition, which includes drawings of a night shark, barnacles, rays, fish fins and icebergs. Thebarnacle series, shaped by Charles Darwin’s fascination with these creatures, mirrors the scientist’s own meticulous study of the species. Darwin’s research on barnacles played a pivotal role in the development of his theories on evolution. Delafield Cook’s drawings of barnacles from Darwin’s own collection, magnify their form, transforming them from simple organisms into unexpected, almost otherworldly marvels. In doing so, the artist invites us to look at these often-overlooked creatures in a new, more profound way. Barnacles have some of the most complex reproductive systems in the animal kingdom, a detail that highlights their evolutionary significance.
Delafield Cook’s large-scale works of icebergs serve as a testament to a vulnerable landscape and the uncertain future of our planet. As he writes, “they represent my tribute to an ‘endangered’ phenomenon that to me symbolises our species’ very uncertain future. A phenomenon that may eventually exist only in memory.” These beautiful, ethereal depictions serve as both a reminder and a warning.
A sense of movement is created with precise anatomical study in the life size night shark and rays, and the fish fins. He captures, with extraordinary precision the intricate patterns on the surface of the rays, which, when viewed closely, seemingly dissolve into abstraction, and remind us of the repeating forms that appear throughout nature. This repetition reiterates the interconnectedness of all living things.
