We have focused our art practice, since 1994, on emulating nature’s design. We create and photograph ephemeral environmental sculptures in nature that return to nature. Photographs are all that remain of the sculptures. They are exhibited, published and collected worldwide.
What is nature’s design?
The art of nature is regeneration - resources are continually shared and recycled, unlike human design that since the industrial revolution has been linear and degenerative.
To reverse the ecological/climate crisis, humans are now designing regenerative systems that cause no harm while meeting the needs of people and the natural world.
Regenerative design coupled with renewable energy, less consumption, increased biodiversity, equity and justice, means life can continually flourish for ever.
“Science is about knowing, art is about feeling, design is about possibility” - Martin Hill
We work on researched land art/science projects which explore ideas about human relationships with natural systems. Our sculptures are designed to express nature’s circular design and interconnectedness.
P R O J E C T S
Fine Line
Our global project Fine Line is an environmental art/science project that draws a conceptual line around earth connecting 12 ephemeral sculptures we made in wild mountain regions around the world beginning and ending in New Zealand. The work is our artistic evocation of the inter-connectedness and circularity of the web of life, advancing design solutions to climate, ecological and social collapse by learning from living systems.
What people say about our work
Paul Hawken, American environmentalist & author of Drawdown and Regeneration:
“Martin and Philippa’s sculptures are a beautiful reminder of the cyclical design model for sustainable enterprise. We need inspiring creative work like this as well as scientific analysis if we are to make the change to genuine sustainability.”
Dr Alasdair Foster, Adjunct Professor, School of Art, RMIT University, Melbourne:
“The art of Martin Hill and Philippa Jones displays great poetry and peace. They address existential challenges through installations and images of stillness and clarity. They call on us to think deeply and change fundamentally. Their sculptural forms harness the very processes they promote, creating images that are both conceptually grounded and elegantly demonstrative.”
Sir Jonathon Porritt, founder of Forum for the Future, UK:
“The passion and love that people invest in the work they do is a mark of respect for all those with whom they want to share that work. Few of us will ever experience, at first hand, what Martin and Philippa have seen, learned and loved over the last 30 years. But we can thank them for bringing that, at one degree removed, into our lives.”
Dr Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of The Natural Step:
“Hill and Jones’ art allows us to fully understand the meaning of connectedness - and its inspiration comes from learning from nature’s design.”
Dr James Fox, art historian, presenter of BBC’s Nature and Us - A History Through Art:
“A sense of fragility informs the work of Philippa Jones and Martin Hill. They use natural materials to create ephemeral sculptures expressing life’s interconnectedness. Recognition of interconnectedness will doubtless prove to be an essential part of our new relationship with nature, one that sustains us and our planet into the future.”
Licensing: Sculpture images are licensed for use worldwide
Prints: Fine art prints can be purchased internationally
Copyright: Martin Hill all rights reserved
Martin Hill and Philippa Jones. Lake Wanaka. Photograph: Alan Dove 2022