Lennox St. Gallery is pleased to present In Situ, a solo-exhibition of new paintings by Tom Gerrard, from August 4 - 22 October, 2023.
Private View: Thursday, 5 October, 2023, 6-8pm
"With an awareness of art history, I’m often drawn to artists who have depicted paintings within paintings. In particular, within Matisse’s Red Studio, the artist included artworks which then developed their own mythology, gaining fame and becoming sought after simply for being in the painting. Through this work, I was intrigued to understand the artist’s life and surroundings, and loved his freedom in showing multiple styles and subjects within a single image.
For this body of work, I have been influenced by Matisse’s approach. Many of my recent paintings, ceramics and art objects were created to be included within interior settings of new paintings.
Completed artworks enter a painting and blend into their surroundings, taking part in the world that they now inhabit. At the same time, I reversed the approach, and brought imagery from the paintings into real life.
I love seeing my work in peoples’ homes because when most of the work I create is only experienced in my studio and in galleries. This sense of journey for my artworks is also part of my current approach, and this new body of work shows my vision of spaces where my art could reside. I envision my current work residing in calm, pleasant, comfortable environments. So I imagined the thing I rarely see; my work in such domestic settings, in situ." - Tom Gerrard, 2023
Tom Gerrard
b. 1977, Melbourne, Australia
Resides and works in Mullumbimby, NSW
Tom Gerrard is an Australian painter whose works focus on bringing life to the mundane. His style developed through his prolific international output on the streets, and he incorporates contemporary techniques such as spray paint and airbrush. Gerrard’s works compress space through bold flattened colour schemes, employing a signature black outline which frames his graphical forms and inanimate objects.
The heads appearing throughout Gerrard’s work follow the lineage of graffiti characters, reimagined through the multicultural lens of Gerrard’s youth in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Observation is key to Gerrard’s practice; the architectural elements and domestic objects are taken directly from his environment, both at home and through travel.
Gerrard has exhibited in Los Angeles, Barcelona and Tokyo, and his works have been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. He is an active international muralist, having been commissioned in London, Berlin, Quito and Rio de Janeiro.