Walton Ford creates watercolour paintings in the style of 19th century natural history drawings, depicting an array of animals, most notably monkeys and bird species. These paintings are reminiscent of naturalists such as John J. Audubon or Edward Lear. However, Ford’s life-size illustrations diverge from this tradition as they anthropomorphize animals, presenting them in unnatural settings and human scenarios.
His fantasy scenes are simultaneously amusing and unsettling, carrying a nightmarish charm. Ford is born storyteller and his symbolically loaded scenes parody the colonial era, underscoring ethical transgressions of that time. These issues resonate strongly in contemporary consumer society.
An American artist, Walton Ford currently lives and works in upstate New York. He has received much recognition for his work including a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Buy signed, limited edition books by Walton Ford at Opus Fine Art; the home of Contemporary art.