"While I was incredibly fortunate to be mentored under acclaimed wildlife artist Robert Bateman and began my career as a teenager in the Canadian wildlife art scene, I eventually found my own style, which I coined "Narrative Hyper-Surrealism." In my subject matter I often juxtapose animals with abandoned remnants of human civilizations, highlighting irony and parody, the hallmarks of postmodern art. This is best seen in my first thematic body of work Streams in the Wasteland (2015-2021), inspired by nature's reclamation in the biblical book of Isaiah.

The choice to paint on shaped non-quadrilateral wood panels was intuitive, as I found rectangles and squares non-conducive to my organic subject matter. The format of non-rectangular oil paintings draws upon the 'shaped canvas' of the abstract colour field painters, as well as medieval iconography. I also design Renaissance-inspired tabernacle and altarpiece frames, which provide an interpretive framework for the spiritual themes conveyed in my work.

From my Jewish and Christian heritage, the Bible has been a guiding influence in my artistic practice. Throughout art history many notable artists found inspiration in Scripture — from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel to Rembrandt's Prodigal Son. In our modern era it ranges from Andy Warhol's Last Supper screen prints, to contemporary artist Damien Hirst's biblical titles for his installation art (albeit tongue-in-cheek). I resonate with Jewish artist Marc Chagall's remarks: "For me, painting the Bible is like a bouquet of flowers. The Bible for me is absolutely pure poetry, a human tragedy. The prophets inspire me. It is a committed poetry."

While I am indebted to western art history, I seek to reinterpret this tradition through a zoological lens, liberating the Judeo-Christian worldview from its perversion at the hands of anthropocentric Greek philosophy. I wish to embody a visual theology of the intrinsic value and moral innocence of the animal kingdom. I take delight in emphasizing the beauty, particularity, and diversity of the natural world. My Studio Gallery is located in the Golden Horseshoe, halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Lake Ontario is a couple kilometres down the road, the Bruce Trail is a block away, and I paint to the sight and sound of a wide variety of birds and small animals just outside my windows.

Animal art, which in the modern era was devalued as kitsch and not deemed worthy of the art gallery or museum, has come to be embraced in this century by some of the world's top galleries. Artists include Martin Wittfooth, Alexis Rockman, and most notably Walton Ford who has exhibited at the blue-chip Gagosian Gallery. According to art critic John Berger, "The first subject matter for painting was animal. Probably the first paint was animal blood. Prior to that, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the first metaphor was animal." While settings and styles have changed, the animal in art has endured over the centuries.

A major theme in my work is the ecological crisis of our day. In my lifetime there has been a marked acceleration in the loss of biodiversity, with three species going extinct every day. To put that into perspective, scientists tell us that the extinction rate is 1000 times higher than the historical loss ratio. This leads to imbalance in ecosystems, breeding new viruses and diseases. My whole family has experienced the effect of this through contracting Lyme Disease, an auto-immune illness on the rise due to the proliferation of ticks caused by warming winter temperatures. I endeavour to practice what I preach by donating proceeds from the sale of my art to conservation efforts, eating a plant-based diet, ensuring a non-toxic studio, and serving as a board member of a local conservation area.

Questions that I pose through my art include: "Could the ecological crisis of our day be a sign of judgment from the Creator for our disregard of the earth?" "Are not the animals still calling us to faithful stewardship of the planet we've been entrusted with? And fundamentally: "What worldview coherently undergirds and substantiates ecological ethics?"

According to Steven Bouma-Prediger, "We care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience." While animal art does not replace first-hand experience, like walking in the woods or going on a safari, it immortalizes a fleeting moment within nature for us to meditate on. As each of my paintings takes up to 1700 hours to complete, my subject matter has a profound influence on me. Animal art has the potential to evoke wonder, reorient our affections, and increase empathy for our fellow creatures.

I have endeavoured to draw together two strands – spirituality and art – as a way to inspire greater appreciation for the natural world, motivate environmental stewardship, and provide hope in anxious times (with irony and a little humour thrown in for comic relief)."

Josh Tiessen