Jethro Haynes

London based illustrator, sculptor and designer Jethro Haynes might be adding photographer to that list of specialties after we saw this recent underwater series. Having no further explanation on his site we had to delve a little deeper…

You describe yourself as an illustrator, sculptor, designer. What’s your background?

I’ve just always been into design and aesthetics, even before I knew what they were. I need to be creative to make myself feel as if I’m actually doing something worth existing for. I’ve always built and drawn things because it makes me happy. I went to art college and all that jazz, I studied fashion, general art and design and then animation. Although I’d say I’m self-taught, college was at least good for experimenting and using materials. Skateboarding was a far bigger influence on my work than college. You learn about yourself and look at your immediate environment in new ways, which is far more important than passing some course. So I suppose my background is one of wondering what could be, and how it could be.

If you could add anything else to your skill set what would it be?

The ability to make some money would be helpful.

Can you tell us more about the underwater photography series.

I’ve been completely in love with the underwater world for as long as I can remember. I’ve been snorkeling since I was a little kid, and I love diving too. I bought an underwater housing for my digital camera this summer and went to the Red Sea just to take pictures of sea life and seascapes because it’s all so amazing, psychedelic and beautiful.

The series is all about repeating forms to create a sense of containment, order and self- sufficiency within the confinement of the sea itself. Different worlds for your mind to inhabit. You can look at it as it is, or you can let your imagination just run wild and see all kinds of different beasts and objects both real and unreal, beautiful and disturbing. They reference how nature is so interconnected as far as shape and form goes. Imagine if there were no coral reefs on earth and one day images were sent from a probe visiting another planet or galaxy depicting all this insanity. It would be the most bonkers alien thing, people would become obsessed, freak out, start religions etc. But as it’s part of this planet, and common knowledge, most people take it for granted and can’t see how nuts it all is. Everything is connected and I’m trying to convey a sense of separateness as a chance to exist without the influence of other factors. To make individual worlds and places that do, but don’t actually exist.