Set within an ex-vintage Porsche workshop the back streets of Cremorne, a 200sqm brick building being vacated for development, is artist Tom Adair’s studio. Adair has vacated the space for “SPECTRUM”, a substantial group exhibition featuring 18 artists including the work and contributions of friends, creatives, and fellow artists from around Australia.
The theme of the show is an exploration of how each artist is inspired by, perceives, or utilises light within their practice – whether it be light to touch, physical weight, digitaltechnology, natural light, shadows, colour, or electricity.
With a unique background of interiors, product design and art, the show includes some big names, as well as some unrepresented artists that work across a multitude of mediumsfrom painting, neon, sculpture, installation, photography, robot-assisted technology and plaster.
Tom Adairsaid, “Light is all around us and I thought it would be interesting to investigate how the universe started with a Big Bang and from there how light has existed and has progressively evolved within nature through to technology.”
“ I’ve always wanted to hold an exhibition that doesn’t follow gallery rules where I could include friends from my past and present relationships from varied creative disciplines. Moving out of this studio space has offered me the opportunity to put on a show that will be different from other ‘art exhibitions’ as well as showcasing some of unrecognised talent that surrounds me,”said Adair .
With an impending studio move, the show will mark the beginning of a planned launch of a bricks and mortar artist-run project space in Richmond, named Thought Forms Gallery.
Congratulations on the upcoming opening, what can you tell us about the upcoming exhibit?
Thank you, the new group show was something I always intended on doing in my studio but never got around to. With the move of the studio, I decided to use the opportunity of the vacant space to curate an exhibition that includes objects and artwork from some of my closest creative and artist friends. The work is varied as a result of my background in fashion, interiors, and the arts.
What was the inspiration behind the pieces?
Spectrum brings together 18 Australian artists as the first of a series of explorative shows from Thought Forms, curated by Tom Adair. Light, light conditions, and light effects bring together this stylistically diverse collection, reimagining light through the material, context, and experience.
Fictional depictions of light echo physical constructions, while the display context imposes conditions of luminance that encourage movement intrinsic to the theme. Bright colours abound, exploring a vital artistic instinct, the curation of electromagnetic wavelengths for effect; in simple words, colour choice.
Why was it named SPECTRUM?
The show is named SPECTRUM to reflect the through-line narrative of light that each artist has interpreted and been influenced by in their work. Light as a theme is something we all encounter every day, it surrounds us whether through the natural environment, technology or touch.
What do you hope people will experience when they see the exhibit?
I’d like people to experience the work and have the opportunity to delve deeper into the issues, emotions, mediums, and aesthetics that the works represent. Thought Forms is a pop-up immersive experience that brings together talented artists and highlights some of Australia’s best and unrecognised creatives in one space that wouldn’t normally be seen in a standard gallery format.
FEATURED ARTISTS in the spectrum exhibition include:
Tom Adair
Richard Blackwell
Dion Horstmans
Adam Cullen
Kane Alexander
Fabrizio Biviano
Giclee Studios
Karl Gordon
Tom Gerrard
Nellie Peoples
Andrei Davidoff
Jack Flash
Mark Chu
Paul Spirilli
Stephen Carlier
Julius Killerby
Studio Ciao
Laelie Berzo
