about the work

My work deals with visual perception, in particular the fact that we can receive conflicting information from a given visual stimulus. The preconceived assumptions of eye and brain are challenged, raising questions about the subconscious and how we interpret what we are looking at. Memory plays an important part in how we perceive the world around us and my current series of paintings ‘Remembered Present’ addresses this concern.

Change through time and the inevitable accumulation of experience are themes that have underpinned my practice from early on. The way for example that buildings, much used objects and faces age, weathering and transforming with the passage of time, is a constant source of inspiration. I try to evoke a patina of experience in my pictures. This directly relates to the methods used to make my work where I combine conventional painting techniques with more innovative processes.

I incorporate a variety of materials in each picture, from paints and inks, to gesso and earth, which are applied in numerous layers. Each strata of material is laid down in varying thicknesses and finishes. A textured surface is produced, where the layers are often rubbed away unevenly and evidence of previous activity can be glimpsed.

I have spent much of my adult life living and travelling overseas. Four years in New Zealand was shortly followed by stints in Southern Europe. These experiences have fed directly into my work. My years spent in Southern Spain and Sicily for example, were periods when I became interested in the Moorish heritage in these places and Islamic iconography in general, which has a continuing impact on my work.

Tom Cartmill, 2009

All images and content of this website are Copyright © 2003 - 2011 Tom Cartmill. All rights reserved.