The surgical cutting and inserting of parts, the experimental mixing of the animal, the plant and the human in her works reflects our changing genetic and psychological relationship with nature. In the face of research and experimentation in the world of biotechnology her poignant and provocative works reveal a version of an increasingly possible reality of cloned and ‘designer’ beings to order. The impact for future species and mankind and the plight and toll on animals used for experiments underpins all these works. The concept of these potential peculiar biologies and the creation of hybrid and mutant creatures has been her focus since 2002, with exhibition titles like Mutation & Imagination, Hybrid states, Hybridism, Creature Couples and Strange.

With a series of large sardonic and compelling narrative drawings and thought provoking taxidermic sculptures in her latest exhibition, Taxonomy, Claude Jones again turns the spotlight as well as the tables, on science’s escalating push for homogenisation of species and in particular man’s double standards in the way animals are categorized and treated. Taxonomy is the science of classification and the system applied to organizing living things into species. Claude Jones is questioning the schizoid taxonomic approach we take with animals. At Christmas we buy the dog a present but the pig and turkey become lunch.

In the spirit of animal rights activism and with poignant role reversal, in these provocative metre square watercolours dog and monkey-faced humanoids wield scalpels and guns, specimen jars and steel bars confine taunted cat and monkey mutants and trouser-suited hares are suspended from meat hooks. The wallpaper is patterned with rabbit traps.

Distressing as the subject is, the artist cleverly renders the works in the way of storybook illustrations. The delicacy of drawing, beautiful soft colours and child-like fairytale guise of these works potently enhances the grim impact and the reality of man’s perplexing duplicity.