JOHN NOBLE-MILLNER
‘I was the kind of little boy who would have beetles in a matchbox and bring home jam jars of sticklebacks or newts, back in the days when little boys could disappear until tea time exploring the woods and hedgerows. Always intrigued by creepy crawlies and other worlds beneath the surface, in the pond or under a rock or a rotten log, I've never lost that sense of childhood wonder at the world around us.
I sculpt animals to look naturally poised, capturing their character with a tilt of the head, a quizzical look in the eye, a fluidity of movement and energy; almost ready to spring rather than a frozen snapshot of motion. A grounding in biology and understanding of anatomy inform my work with a detailed, lifelike quality.
My work is now cast from metals obtained from over 95 percent recycled sources. My home and workshop are powered using energy from 100 percent renewable sources and I subscribe to a scheme to offset the carbon emissions caused by my business, making it carbon neutral. This reflects my concerns for the environment and the conservation of the strange and beautiful creatures we are surrounded by.
It's lovely when people see my work and their initial response is "Wow, look at that gecko!" If my sculpture is perceived as real then that is the greatest compliment I can be paid. However, I believe its greatest success is achieved if it has the power to remind people that we're losing these animals and their habitat at an alarming rate and that we urgently need to do something about it.’
