A V S TURNER: Adventures in Natural History

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Artist's statement:

For a professional in any field, it is important to know not just what you do but why you do it. I have developed my own 'Palaeoart manifesto' over the years; by which to choose my subjects and how best to present them.

RULE 1: Every image serves a purpose. Before beginning a new work, ask yourself "What good will representing this subject do for the wider community?". If your chosen subject is a relatively new discovery, of which few restorations have been made, then the clear benefit is in creating a new piece of reference material for a species of which few images exist. If, however the species has been long known to science, instead ask yourself "How will my representation of this species teach my audience anything new?".

RULE 2: Context is essential. Why spend so much time and effort getting your subject's morphology right if they then end up standing in an environment that is totally inappropriate, even anachronistic? The purpose of palaeoart is to inform and educate as well as to enthral.

RULE 3: If there's no evidence for it, don't draw it! There's no point spending time painting or sculpting a detail for which there is no evidence. Obviously, there are times when this is necessary, but these come often enough for a palaeo-artist to make it worth avoiding having to invent details if you don't have to.

You can view my full artist's statement here.

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A V S TURNER: Adventures in Natural History

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Fossil hunting: Hastings, East Sussex

Fossil hunting expedition: Wye Downs, Kent