Background
Originally completing a Foundation in Art in 1994 and subsequently a 1st class degree in Performing Arts, Thomas’s journey in texture and movement was deepened by his decision to move to Berlin in 2003, where he worked with a number of influential experimental dance companies such as Two fish and Damaged Goods; performing in Sophiensaele Theatre, Berlin (2003). Other work includes: ‘Replacement’, Theatre de la Ville, Paris (2005); ‘It’s Not Funny’, Volksbuhne, Berlin (2006), and ‘The Thrill of it All’ with Tim Etchell’s Forced Entertainment, Riverside studios, London (2010) – performances which consolidated his position in the European theatre scene.
Thomas also co-created and performed his own choreographies such as ‘Considered: Midnight Cowboy’ Intimate Parcours, Kaaitheater, Brussels; ‘Rewriting’, Sophiensaele Theatre, Berlin; ‘Considered: 2001 A Space Odyssey’’; HAU3, Berlin and taught ‘Movement in Space’ to BSc Architecture students at the Berlin Institute of Technology using principles of Anne Bogart’s ‘Viewpoints’, wherein space, story, time, emotion, movement, and shape were used to examine and create a dialogue within a site-specific context.
Recent publication
“Autumn Issue/ Seasonal Edition”, Collect Art, Vol 35, October 2023.
How has your background in contemporary dance influenced your approach to abstract art, particularly concerning the themes of the human body and body memory?
My artistic journey has been primarily shaped by a deep interest in themes related to memory, loss of memory, and false or distorted memories. This interest predates my involvement in theatre, dance, or visual art. In the realm of performance, the practice involved interpreting emotional and mental states, as well as ideas and concepts, into individualised movements and words. This experience in performance art has indeed continued in my approach to visual art, where I similarly strive to translate these ‘states of readiness’ into marks on canvas.
Your use of empty spaces in your art is intriguing. Could you explain how these spaces contribute to creating a sense of contemplative silence and what they represent in your work?
Empty spaces in my art contribute to a contemplative silence, providing a space to breathe and quieting the noise in our daily minds. They represent a ‘volume off’ switch, allowing viewers to engage with the artwork in a meditative and reflective manner.
The black marks in your artwork symbolise resilience. Can you share more about how you use them to bind disparate elements together and convey the idea of resilience in your pieces?
The black marks in my work, at times, symbolise resilience by serving as sinewy lines that bind disparate elements together. They evoke images of ligaments, fragile threads, and frayed rope bridges, desperately holding the parts together, embodying the idea that strength can be found in the most fragile and tenuous connections.
Your art incorporates scribbles and fragments of words. How do these elements mirror the complexity of human emotions and consciousness in your compositions?
These scribbles of words are another form of gestural and spontaneous mark-making in my work. They represent the thousands of thoughts we have daily, often disparate and interrupted by other thoughts, illustrating the intricate nature of our inner worlds. There might also be a beauty and depth to be found in what might initially appear as simple or chaotic scribbles.
In your 2023 London solo exhibition, you mentioned a deeper exploration of your art practice. Could you describe how this exhibition served as a catalyst for this exploration and what new directions it led you to?
The exhibition served as a significant milestone, imposing a deadline that led to an intense period of creativity in my practice. During the exhibition, as I engaged in critical conversations with individuals holding diverse perspectives, I found myself compelled to scrutinise my work more thoroughly and delve into a deeper examination. This experience served as a driving force, propelling me towards a new chapter characterised by a more rigorous and refined approach to my artistic thought process.
Abstract art often invites viewers to interpret and connect with the work on a personal level. How do you hope your art, which explores memory, loss, and resilience, engages viewers emotionally and intellectually?
I would like for the work to engage viewers in a way that encourages introspection and contemplation, fostering a deep connection with the work. While personal interpretation is welcomed, I also aim for the work to provoke broader thoughts that go beyond the individual experience, inviting the viewer to contemplate its significance in a wider context, both across time and place. I hope the work serves as a gentle nudge for meaningful reflections that go beyond the immediate.
Between Two Roaring Worlds
Through the use of large voids and black marks, Between Two Roaring Worlds is a series of works that evoke a sense of profound introspection and transformation. The composition within the painting serves as a reminder of the inherent beauty that emerges from moments of upheaval and change.
Each painting within the series presents a unique visual narrative. He watched her pour into the measure and thence into the jug rich white milk, invites contemplation on the cyclical nature of life and the nurturing power of regeneration.
She turned away from him and drew the bedclothes up to her chin, encapsulates the intimacy of introspection and the quiet moments of self-reflection that lead to personal growth.
The grey warm evening of August had descended upon the city and a mild warm air, a memory of summer, circulated in the streets, conjures images of fleeting moments and the passing of time, suggesting that regeneration can arise from even the most ephemeral experiences.
Finally, I between them. Between two roaring worlds where they swirl, I. Shatter them, one and both, embodies the transformative power of breaking boundaries and embracing the chaos that leads to regeneration. The painting captures the artist's exploration of a pivotal moment where two opposing worlds collide. The swirling energies depicted symbolise the clash of these forces, resulting in a shattering of both worlds. It represents a metaphorical breaking point, where established patterns and structures are disrupted, making way for new growth and possibilities.
In each painting, the deliberate use of empty spaces creates a sense of contemplative silence, inviting viewers to reflect on their own journeys of regeneration. The black marks act as connectors, representing the threads of resilience and strength that bind contrasting elements together.
Stephen’s Epiphany
Stephen’s Epiphany is an expression of an individual journey of self-discovery and realisation. Through the use of acrylics and charcoal on canvas, themes explored resonate with the transformative moments we experience in life.
Layers of markings and scrapings create a textured and nuanced composition. Various tools are employed, such as brushes, sponges, and scraping tools, to convey the complexity and depth of the ‘epiphany’. The colour fields present in crimson, dove grey, golden yellow, maroon, and mauve evoke emotional and symbolic elements associated with our personal growth and understanding.
As the viewer gazes upon the image, one encounters scribbles and fragments of words like "dog, bone, bog, stone." These abstract and fragmented elements mirror the stream of our consciousness, capturing the fleeting and evolving nature of our thoughts and perceptions during this transformative moment.
Within the painting, poured paint and flecks of vibrant colours like cadmium red, azure, ultramarine black, and titanium white traverse the ‘memoryscape’, creating a celestial aura. This celestial element symbolises the expansion of our awareness beyond our immediate surroundings, connecting us to the vast universe and a greater truth. It represents our awakening to our own individuality and our decision to break free from societal constraints and conventional expectations.
Modus Ponen
Modus Ponen is a collection of abstract expressionist paintings that convey emotion and movement through the use of colour. Composed of two small and two larger pieces, each work is created with acrylics on cardboard using a colour palette that includes golden yellow, amber, burgundy caramel, black, ruddy violet, umber, livid, and shocking pink. The resulting effect is a harmonious, vibrant, and flecked display of colour.
The use of color, texture, and movement to express emotion and inner experience is reminiscent of the language employed by artists associated with abstract expressionism. This influence is particularly evident in Modus Ponen's use of color to create a sense of depth and complexity.
The smaller works; Adrift and Unrecalled, employ light, dappled colors and layered compositions to convey introspection and self-reflection. The other paintings, Shrouded and Modus Ponen, utilize deep burgundy caramel, black, and a range of colors to create a sense of mystery, concealment, and emotional complexity.
I was thrilled to see the impact that my art had on people. Many visitors were drawn to my paintings because of the bold and vibrant colours, dynamic brushstrokes, and textures that evoke an emotional response. Seeing people connect with my art on a personal level was truly rewarding. It was also a chance to take a step back and reflect on my work. It gave me the opportunity to think about the next series of paintings that I wanted to create and how I can continue to evolve as an artist.
Overall, the experience of holding my first solo exhibition was incredible. It was a chance to showcase my art and to see the impact that it has on people. Interacting with visitors and other artists was invaluable, and I'm grateful for the insight and feedback I received. The experience left me energized and excited to see where my art would take me next.
Solo Exhibition, January 2023
At the beginning of the year, I held my first solo exhibition at the Jeannie Avent Gallery in East Dulwich, London. It was a very positive experience that brought together various works from the last three years, and it was beautiful to see it all displayed in one place. One of the highlights of the exhibition was the opportunity to interact with the public and other artists. It was incredible to see how people responded to my art and to hear their perspectives on it. These conversations gave me a greater understanding of my work and helped me develop my ability to communicate more effectively.
Saturn: Father and Son
The series, Saturn: Father and Son, explores themes of trauma, and fragmented memories. This body of work is inspired by Francisco Goya's famous painting, Saturn Devouring His Son, which captures the suffering, brutality and dark underbelly of the human psyche. ‘The Two Maidens’ of Pompeii in their final moments also was a significant influence on this creative process. The everlasting petrified embrace of the two doomed individuals, entombed in ash from the volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago, speaks to the enduring nature of human emotion and the permanence of traumatic experiences.
The colour palette of the series is intentionally limited, featuring shades of terracotta, dark grey, brown, black, and white. I have primarily used charcoal and acrylic on canvas, which creates a sense of depth and texture, evocative of the rough terrain of the human psyche. Through my use of bold black marks and forms, I aim to convey a sense of the deep tunnels and bridges dismantled and rebuilt through our narratives. In this way, I hope to create a sense of tension and contrast, capturing the emotional complexities of familial relationships.
Thomas Martin Conway is a London-based Abstract Artist. Formerly a theatre and contemporary dance maker in London and Berlin, and currently also a subject Lead in Performing Arts in a trauma-informed educational setting. Thomas’s exposure to and immersion in avant-garde experimental theatre continues to be communicated in his practice through established themes of fragmentation and embodied expression and restraint.
Revealing an intuitive appreciation of the peculiarities and ambivalent struggles of being human - through pain and rigidity, our bodies may restrict our movement just as our emotional experiences may inhibit our expression - Thomas’s art communicates this conflict between expressive and playful movement and hesitant self-consciousness.
Working from his South East London studio, Thomas’s work has become an exercise in both expression and restraint. The work reveals a process in which expressive brush strokes become increasingly controlled and contained. One part of his body is in dialogue with another – beginning with isolation – isolating the wrists or the hand, rotating and flexing, with one part of the body in conversation with the canvas.
Despite his evolving artistic journey, his unwavering desire to create remains constant. Having initially worked in the visual realm before transitioning to the performative, he now finds himself returned to the visual process, enriched by the insights gained throughout his artistic journey.