David M. Thomas
BIO
For 21 years I have made work in collaboration with my partner in love, art and life Suzanne Howard (1962-2018). This at the outset made the making for me more difficult as there were already a few voices in my head. Art-school and running a gallery, although very enjoyable and informative, had crowded my brain. Ironically, as this collaboration was largely unintended, I didn’t trust Suzanne’s judgement, I didn’t think she was qualified as she had not gone to art school. This makes me laugh now, as my belief in the academy’s absolute authority has softened somewhat, and my faith in her ideas grew greatly, as I realised more often than not her insights were right on the money. Suzanne had great sensitivity and an uncanny intuition both visually and sonically and plus she had fabulous style. So this is the problem, how do I continue our projects without Suzanne’s voice? The solution was to start again and listen for that voice, which is thankfully still there, in my head and in the work…just as loud, clear and beautiful as ever.
My own art practice has always been about finding ways to think about what’s happened and what is happening and what will likely happen. With this in mind recent work for the show at Wreckers Art Space in Brisbane, is about this aspect of life. The making of these works is a way of continuing, and also distracting us from the responsibilities, horrors and humiliations of life. Also a reminder of a particular aesthetic way of life, one that as an individual and with Suzanne as a couple and as the group Weekend Immendorff we committed to. This is not easy, bad faith seeps in everywhere. Through the doors left open by self doubt, self loathing and ones idea of self, and also the seduction and tress-passing of other ways of life.
Wreckers Artspace – 2 December 2018
https://cargocollective.com/wreckersartspace/David-M-Thomas-Suzanne-Howard-Weekend-ImmendorffDec
.
Art Practice Keywords:
Artist
Artist Role Keywords:
Collaboration/ Collaborator names Keywords:
Collections
Various Private Collections
CV
Born:1967, London, UK
Works and Resides: Wynnum, Queensland Australia
Selected Individual Exhibitions
2018 Real Distraction, Wreckers
2017 Simple Math, KNULP
2016 Capitals End, The Walls
2012 A Party Disguised as Work or Work disguised as a Party, Boxcopy Brisbane.
Present Day Art In Australia for G.H, Peloton, Sydney.
Dream Job, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.
2011 Expanded Portraits, Artists Gamble with Time, Metro Arts, Brisbane.
2010 Dream Job, Griffith University Art Gallery.
2008 Every Artist is an Institution, Metro Arts QLD
2006 Blow Up the Inside World, University Art Museum, QLD
2004 The Darkness, Pestorius Sweeney House, Brisbane
2003 Worshiped as a God In Japan, Boutwell-Draper Gallery, Sydney.
Dumb Bombs, The Farm Brisbane
Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize, NAS Gallery Sydney.
2015 Goma Q, the work of contemporary Queensland artists at the Gallery of Modern Art QLD.
2014 Seen +Heard, Gallery of Modern Art, QLD.
2013 Remix Post Connect, The University of Queensland, National artists Self-Portrait Prize.
2012 Mostly Agree, Stills Gallery, Sydney, Episodes, AASS ARI, Brisbane
2011 After Glow, Monash Gallery, Melbourne.
2010 Queensland Art, Pestorius Sweeney House, QLD
2009 Temperature 2, New Queensland Art, Museum of Brisbane, QLD
2009 I Have Not Been Myself Lately, Queensland College of Art Gallery
Comedy OK Video Festival, Jakarta Indonesia
2008 Orebro International Video Art Festival Sweden, MSSR projects Brisbane
2007 Eye to I, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Victoria
Recent Group and Solo Performances
2016 ∑GG√EIN, the Walls, Miami
2016 Weekend Immendorff, the Walls, Miami
2015 ∑GG√EIN, IMA 40th Birthday Party, Brisbane
2015 Weekend Immendorff, MCA Artbar, Sydney
2014 ∑GG√EIN, MCA Artbar, Sydney
w. Ross Manning, opening of Peter Alwast Solo exhibition, Boxcopy Brisbane
Weekend Immendorff, Colour and Music, Drill Hall Gallery, ACT
∑GG√EIN, 4zzz Happyfest, Brisbane
∑GG√EIN, Real Bad Music Brisbane
Weekend Immendorff, Real Bad Music Brisbane
An Authentic Guide to Happiness, Level Brisbane
∑GG√EIN, The Underdog, Brisbane
2013 ∑GG√EIN, 4zzz benefit Greenslopes Bowling Club, Brisbane
∑GG√EIN, Sunday Rocknroll BBQ, Brisbane
∑GG√EIN, The Walls, Gold Coast
2012 ∑GG√EIN, Peloton Sydney
∑GG√EIN, Boxcopy, Brisbane
Dream Job, Electronic music performance, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Awards & Grants
2010 Arts Queensland Career Development
2009 Australia Council, New Work, 2009 Australian Post Graduate Award
2008 Asia Link Residency, Jogyakarta
2005 Australia Council, New Work
2004 Arts Queensland, Grants Program for the Arts
1998 Australia Council, Studio Residency, Greene Street NYC
Education
2014 Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) Griffith University (QCA)
2002 Master of Arts, SCA, Sydney University
1993 Master of Arts Administration, University of NSW
1990 Graduate Diploma of Visual Arts, (SCA) Sydney University
1989 Bachelor of Visual Arts, (SCA) Sydney University