TOM CUMMINS

Vancouver, BC - Auckland, NZ

Focused framing of out-of-context objects, serendipity and constructed significance are constant themes in Tom’s work. His pieces are marked by the materiality of their invention, heavily influenced by the artist’s deliberations on juxtaposition, deterioration and meaning making.

His work is pragmatic and situational, exploring the practice of collection and the ways in which context contributes to meaning. Working with an artistic vocabulary reminiscent of Arte Povera and Dadaism, Tom elevates quotidian objects into provocative statements, exploring the intersection of materialism and semiotic interpretation.

Tom studied graphic design in Auckland University of Technology (AUT), where he was awarded the AUT Design Fellowship and later served as artist-in-residence from 1999-2000. After several years as a scenic artist and sculptor for film and stage sets, he shifted his practice into museum exhibition design.

Image right: Digital Study, paint brush and resin

followed by Stolen Lighters