Artist Statement — Gordon Thompson, Intenature Artist
Gordon Thompson is an artist whose practice is rooted in a lifelong relationship with the natural world. Trained as a screen printer and signwriter, with additional experience in graphic design, Gordon has spent decades refining the techniques he uses to produce his "minimally processed" materials, so every piece is as sustainable as possible. Today, he has developed those skills into an art form that is entirely his own: Intenature — an approach that merges creativity with ecological responsibility.
Working from his base in the Catlins, New Zealand, Gordon creates artworks using materials he gathers by hand, so every element of an Intenature piece is a part of the landscape itself. Papers are made from plant fibres, lawn clippings, wood pulp, and recycled matter. Pigments are processed from local clays, charcoals, soils and organic sources. Frames are restored or built from discarded timber and salvaged materials. The result is art that is not simply inspired by nature, but literally made of it — embracing the colours and textures of the environment from which it was created.
At the heart of his practice is Intenature, which is both a concept and a philosophy. The Intenature symbol — a simple design, derived from natural forms (a stick figure inside a leaf shape) — represents the interplay between humanity and the natural world. But Intenature is not just a logo. It is a concept: a reminder that every creative act carries a responsibility to the living world.
This philosophy extends beyond the creation of art and into its exchange. Each artwork is sold via the Intenature dual-payment system, in which the financial purchase is accompanied by a commitment to complete a small but meaningful act of environmental restoration. In this model, the artwork becomes a catalyst — a seed for ecological action — and the buyer becomes a collaborator in healing the land. The Intenature symbol marks this shared commitment: artist, buyer, and environment linked in a triangle of responsibility.
Gordon’s work is, at its core, an invitation. A reminder that art can be more than an object — it can be a process, a relationship, a moment of reconnection with the earth. Through natural materials and the fundamental principles of the Intenature concept, he seeks to restore not only landscapes but the way people see their place within them.
He creates art with the belief that the world does not need more “things.”
It needs more connection, more care, and more ways back to the living world.
Intenature Art is his way of offering that path — one artwork, one act of restoration, one shared intention at a time.
Begin Your Intenature Journey
Choose a piece. Make your contribution. Create impact.
