Tom Isaacs is a contemporary artist and curator working primarily in the fields of performance and textile art. His practice draws from psychoanalytic theory, philosophy, religious and ritual practices, and art history to explore themes of mental illness, mortality, and the human condition. He is currently a PhD candidate at Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney University, researching the relationship between ritual, psychoanalysis and body art, and how these different streams of thought address the problem of alienation. Recent exhibitions include: 'SEWNUP' at Lyttleton Stores curated by Fiona Davies in 2020; 'BLUE' at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre curated by Beata Geyer in 2020; and BLUE TOO at WAYOUT curated by Beata Geyer in 2021.
I was recently invited to perform Shekinah Glory in the glass cube, at The Oxford Art Factory, over two nights for their Free Fall program. It was accompanied by text (which I have since expanded upon) explaining the work: For this performance I stood in a glass cube, surrounded by smoke, with my face covered in … More Free Fall
I’m curating a group show for INDEX EX VOTO: Joseph Beuys The opening is on Saturday, September 10 (from 2 – 4pm) and the show runs until September 24th. The address is 60 Hutchinson St, St. Peters. We’d love for you to come along and check it out. EX VOTO is a Mexican folk tradition … More EX VOTO: Joseph Beuys
When I was in my first year of undergrad studies at Sydney College of the Arts one of my favourite classes was Studio Concepts. Studio Concepts was not a studio theory class where students learn about the conceptual history of their discipline, and it was not a studio practical class where students learn the specific … More Conceptual Limitations
I was recently invited to spend two weeks working in the Articulate project space with the aim of producing work that responded to the site. I spent three days and nights in the space performing my new work Ruach. I have found this work particularly difficult to write about and take comfort in the words … More Articulation
My work Strange Bedfellows was recently exhibited in Small Works for a Large Universe at INDEX. It was accompanied by text explaining the work: In my first year at SCA I worked with the bed as a metaphor for private and intimate spaces, be they mental, emotional or psychological. My lecturer at the time, Margaret … More Small Words
My work, Chashmal, was recently exhibited in Intersections for At The Vanishing Point. Due to the curatorial premise of the show individual artists’s statements were not included in the exhibition, but I would like to share an excerpt from my proposal of this work to the curator of Intersections, Adrian Clement: The work I am … More Intra-section
I have a work in a group show! Small Works For A Large Universe The opening is on Friday, February 4 (from 6 – 8pm) at INDEX. The address is 60 Hutchinson St, St. Peters. The show runs from 4 – 19 February, I’d love for you to come along and check it out. “An … More Small Works For A Large Universe
I have a work in a group show! Intersections The opening is on Friday, February 4 (from 6 – 9pm) at At The Vanishing Point. The address is 565 King St, Newtown. The show runs from 4 – 20 February, I’d love for you to come along and check it out. “What measures are taken … More Intersections
When tumblr first became popular I didn’t see much need for it. Between my blog and my twitter account I was feeling pretty confident my needs were met. But then, after looking at a few image-based tumblr accounts, I realised they could be quite aesthetically pleasing. I was inspired by the arrangement of attractive and … More Black and White
My work The Transformation Of Things was recently exhibited in Abstract/Object for At The Vanishing Point. It was accompanied by text explaining the work. The idea for ‘The Transformation of Things’ came from the Ancient Greek word, ‘psyche’. Its first meaning is “spirit, breath, life or animating force”, commonly interpreted as the soul. But it … More Abject/Obstruct
Tom Isaacs 