Tom Martin
“for an artist lockdown happens everyday anyway, slaving away in a lonely studio, unless you’re Jeff Koons of course.”
Interview by Richard Starbuck
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?
I finished my BA in Interdisciplinary art and design with first class honours back in 2008. I studied in Barnsley, but the degree was awarded from the University of Huddersfield. I never moved away and lived with my parents right through university because I had a studio space set up at home and wanted to make the most of that space. Looking back now, perhaps I should have moved further a field i don’t know, but all that mattered at that point was making the work, so that’s what I did. I could do anything on the course, jumping from one discipline to another, it was great in that sense, but painting was where my heart was, so that was where the most of my attention fell. It was that body of work which got me a foot on the ladder so to speak, I walked away after completing my degree with a body of paintings ready to hand over to a London Gallery called Plus One Gallery; they gave my my first real opportunity. Their specialist area was hyperrealism, and that really summed up what I was doing at the time. The following year I had my first solo show in London with them, I was 23 and it was quite overwhelming, but I worked hard for it and it was a success. Since then I have been working as an artist full time.
Could you tell us about your work? What draws you to painting still life?
Originally going back to the earlier part of my career i think that I liked the idea that I was able to depict a physical object in such a way that it felt like it was in the room, regardless of the scale it was painted at. I think a lot of Photorealism/Hyperealism is purely about about ‘how well can I replicate this photograph?’ and that really isn’t something that interests me at all. I was interested in a painting feeling like it was reality, and to that end the mind being tricked into believing in what the eye saw.
Ive painted a lot of different things in my relatively short career so far, and though obviously the work is primarily still life based, it’s not something that is at the forefront of my mind anymore when I’m working, I’m just painting what comes naturally. Especially with the new work, I don’t think of them as still life at all, it’s more about form, shape and where that can lead. It’s a starting point which I keep going back to, the excitement comes in the not knowing how it will end up.
They Kept Dropping the B Bomb, So we Took a Stroll and Felt Free, 2019
If we are still alive this time next year we should probably hang out or something, 2018
Hold up wait, let me take a selfie... 2020
Your work combines hyper-real objects and abstract shapes, could you tell us about this and how you source your subject matter?
The work is generated from imagery, to be more specific mostly imagery generated by my camera, though there are other elements too. I generally set up a composition, a still-life if you will. I then expose this set up to what I like to call, a happening. A happening being a set of external factors ( such as explosions or bursts of colour and positioned objects) which bring chaos to the composition. Whilst these factors are directed and influenced, ultimately there is a huge element of chance involved. I try to preconceive what could happen and semi direct it, but the end result is always a surprise. This happening is recorded in the form of a high speed photograph. The setup is quite complex, and dangerous, but the equipment allows me to be as specific as selecting any specific microsecond during the happening to generate an image.
From there, I begin work in photoshop, there are elements in the composition which make sense and other elements which really weren’t planned for. Instead of rejecting these unplanned areas, I embrace them and attempt to make sense of them through paintings. This is where the paintings begin to take on an abstract direction. Some things are figured out before the painting is commenced, and some things are deliberately left from me to figure out whilst painting. The more imagery I layer up, the more things become distorted and new forms or shapes begin to emerge. It’s about finding solution for and giving meaning to the randomness of chaos, like life really, all the imagery I work with is part of my life in one way or another. You might think of it as a visual representation of how my life hangs together, I’m just trying to understand the world I live in.
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?
Typically I start my day at between 5am and 6am. 5am is always the target but sometimes my body just won’t allow it. I go downstairs and cook my meals for the day to take me through until about 5pm. This all comes from a hobby and interest of mine which is bodybuilding and fitness, and i find this level of regimentation useful and efficient. Soon as that is done, I start work, usually around 7am, and I work typically until about 5.30pm with a few short breaks in between. That happens Monday - Friday, and sometimes over the weekend too, but that really depends how busy I am or if there is a deadline etc. If its a sculpture I’m making, these are totally different and I basically start work and finish when they are finished. They are a continuous process and I have been known to go 60 hours straight before now.
Could you tell us about how you have coped during the COVID-19 Pandemic? In what way has lockdown affected your work and productivity?
Generally the pandemic has meant business as usual, in the sense that my studio is at home and for an artist lockdown happens everyday anyway, slaving away in a lonely studio, unless you’re Jeff Koons of course. There has however been an increased amount of distractions, some good, some bad and having the kids around has led to more responsibilities for me and less time painting. But we have kept things moving as much as possible. Early on in the spring I made a sculpture which incorporated buttercups, which were common place whilst out on our family walks during lockdown. So some of the pandemic has definitely rubbed off into the work, probably more than I realise.
Virtual presentation of paintings with G-allery 2020
Time Machine
The time is now IX, 2020
The time is now X, 2020
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
Most of the art I see at the moment is unfortunately through a digital screen, mainly on social media. That really isn’t ideal and i miss the gallery environment. for obvious reasons that hasn’t been all that accessible lately. It is fair to say that there is a lot of poor work being exhibited online, either because it is in vogue at the present time for one reason or another or because its easy sales for struggling galleries. There are however a lot of good artists too that are making great works, Nathan Walsh’s city scapes just get better and better. Matt Hansel is literally on fire at the present, I could go on and on.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?
Well at the moment I’m just developing the series of paintings and continuing to push with each one to see where it can all end up. I’ve made a few sculptures already this year and have some big plans for some more of those in the future. Recently I began working with a new online platform gallery G-allery, who are starting to promote the work in new and imaginative ways so I am excited to see where that can lead. I continue to work closely with my long term dealer Plus One Gallery whom are always supportive of what ever I choose to do next.
All images are courtesy of the artist
Date of publication: 02/09/20
