The Horseshoe Crab in a Changed World: Bridging Science and Surrealism

Pen and ink contemporary fine art by Doug Ashby

In my latest piece, a scientific illustration featuring a horseshoe crab, I sought to blend elements of traditional scientific illustration with my black and white pointillist technique. This technique allows the image to shift between concrete realism and gestural abstraction, creating a dialogue between the factual and the imaginative. At the heart of the piece is a horseshoe crab, rendered not with strict anatomical precision but with enough detail to anchor it in reality. Surrounding this ancient creature is a bright, surreal landscape—a mountainous beach beneath multiple worlds or moons—that suggests a changed, yet hopeful, future for our environment.

Scientific illustrations have long served as a way to observe and categorize the natural world, providing clarity and understanding through exacting detail. While my work takes inspiration from this tradition, it does not adhere to its conventions. Instead of pursuing perfect accuracy, I allow my pointillist technique to loosely interpret the horseshoe crab’s form, blurring the lines between scientific observation and artistic expression. This approach reflects a desire to explore the fluid relationship between humans and nature—how we see, interpret, and, ultimately, affect the world around us.

The surreal landscape in this piece expands the narrative beyond the creature itself. The multiple moons and undulating mountains evoke a sense of possibility rather than doom, suggesting a world that has changed but not necessarily for the worse. This is a hopeful vision of a future where the natural world adapts, evolves, and remains resilient in the face of human influence. By placing the horseshoe crab in such an environment, I aim to remind viewers of the deep history of life on Earth and the potential for coexistence, even amidst change.

At the same time, the horseshoe crab’s presence raises important questions about humanity’s responsibility toward the species and the ecosystems it inhabits. Horseshoe crabs are not just ancient symbols of resilience; they are also crucial to human health. Their blue blood contains a substance used in medicines and vaccines to detect bacterial contamination, making them vital to modern medicine. Yet, while we depend on their survival, we simultaneously threaten their existence through habitat destruction and environmental degradation. This contradiction—relying on a species while creating conditions for its potential extinction—serves as a critical tension in the work, highlighting humanity’s dual role as both protector and destroyer of the natural world.

In the broader context of my work, this piece aligns with my ongoing exploration of how humans perceive themselves in relation to the natural world. We often view ourselves as separate from nature, exerting control over it rather than existing as part of a larger ecosystem. The horseshoe crab, with its ancient lineage and resilient form, serves as a symbol of the continuity of life—offering a counterpoint to our modern concerns about environmental degradation. The bright, surreal landscape encourages viewers to reconsider the future of both the natural world and humanity’s place within it, inviting optimism where there might otherwise be despair.

The balance between scientific illustration and surrealism in this work mirrors a broader tension in how we relate to nature. While science offers us the tools to understand and measure the natural world, art allows us to feel and interpret it on a deeper, emotional level. By merging these two approaches, I seek to create a visual language that acknowledges both the realities of the natural world and the potential for change, whether through human influence or natural evolution.

Incorporating scientific elements into my art allows for a nuanced conversation about environmental themes. Where pure surrealism might evoke wonder or anxiety, the scientific roots in this illustration ground the piece in reality. The horseshoe crab, rendered with a balance of realism and abstraction, becomes a bridge between the old world and the new—its unchanged form a testament to the resilience of life, even as the environment around it transforms into something almost unrecognizable yet vibrant with potential.

Yet, the horseshoe crab also symbolizes the fragile line between survival and extinction. While we exploit its life-saving blue blood for medicine, we often fail to protect the delicate ecosystems that sustain it. The juxtaposition of human reliance on this creature with our negligence toward its preservation serves as a reminder that we cannot continue to extract from nature without giving back. This duality—dependence and disregard—forms a core aspect of the work’s narrative and underscores the urgency of reconsidering our relationship with the natural world.

This illustration also marks a step forward in building a thematic narrative that could underpin much of my work. The blending of science and surrealism reflects my desire to explore how humans exist in and influence the natural world. By creating artwork that captures both the natural world’s beauty and its potential for transformation, I aim to contribute to a dialogue about the future of our environment. The scientific aspects provide a grounding, factual basis, while the surreal elements offer space for emotional and philosophical reflection.

Ultimately, this horseshoe crab illustration becomes more than a representation of an ancient species—it transforms into a metaphor for the broader ecological concerns and possibilities that drive much of my artistic exploration. As I continue to create art that examines humanity’s relationship with nature, I find myself returning to the idea that we are not separate from the world we inhabit. Our actions leave lasting marks on the environment, and through this piece, I aim to highlight our interconnection with nature in a more hopeful light.

Moving forward, I plan to explore how scientific illustration can play a role in building a cohesive body of work that reinforces these themes. By anchoring surrealism with the precision of science—while allowing for gestural interpretation—I believe I can create a more compelling narrative about the urgency of environmental awareness. The horseshoe crab, with its ancient resilience and the evolving landscape it inhabits, offers a starting point for this investigation, but there is much more to uncover.

In the end, the question remains: how do we, as humans, see ourselves within the natural world? As I continue to explore this question in my art, I hope to inspire others to reflect on their own relationship with nature. The horseshoe crab, standing against a backdrop of multiple worlds and transformed landscapes, asks us to consider not only the past but also the future we are helping to shape—a future that holds both uncertainty and hope.

As always I hope you appreciate the artwork and thoughts. If you’d like to connect please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

Thanks,

Doug