Chemtrails Over Camberwell: Thomas Adam

Thomas Adam is a Scottish artist and MA Royal College of Art graduate currently practicing in Edinburgh. Upcoming solo exhibitions include 'Chemtrails Over Camberwell' at Arusha Gallery 19th - 28th of March 2022, London, and '16:9 Billboard' Kingsgate Project Space, 31st March - 23rd  April, London. Previous exhibitions include 'Safari of Sorts' Ltd Ink Corporation, June 2021, Glasgow, and 'Lightning Without Thunder' Solo Exhibition, Arusha Gallery, 2019, Edinburgh. Adam was recently awarded the J and W Gordon Smith Prize for painting in November 2021.

 

In recent artworks, he attempts to highlight the absurdity of society's idea of normality, where community and environment are secondary considerations - an afterthought to our attempt to navigate the challenges of contemporary living. He presents fictional characters immersed in the obligatory routines of modern life, but who also subconsciously understand, that these set patterns are far from natural. With this knowledge finding solace in immersing themselves in a reality where the supernatural and conspiracy theory seems more plausible. Facts like, on average 6 million people take flights a day permeates his/her thoughts, and what the environmental implications of this might be, all the while unashamedly romanticising and thinking about how much they love and miss air travel. In the artwork ‘Trellis Fences and Exploding Volcanoes Under Yellowstone National Park,’ a figure is presented shopping for a new trellis fence for his garden, the thought appears in his head that there is a super-volcano below the majestic landscape of Yellowstone National park and it is due to erupt imminently. This volcanic eruption would cripple western civilisation within a couple of weeks. Simultaneously, he wonders if he was vacationing at Yellowstone; humbled by its power and beauty, would he be thinking about the trellis fencing he needs to purchase for his garden. 

 

Using a combination of acrylic, airbrush, and digital vinyl on aluminium, Adam employs a fine dot painting technique to slowly build depth and tone in his imagery. This technique creates a juxtaposition between the luminous nature of the metallic background and the matt dot work. The paintings embed themselves into their surroundings; responding to the changing natural light of the day, often found glowing alongside the sunset.