Thomas Spence

Thomas Spence
"A Shot Out of Darkness"

The Ezair Gallery is pleased to announce its first efxhibition of drawings by Thomas Spence,from the Blue Mountains of Australia. this series of work was Inspired from time spent with an aboriginal weaver named Yvonne Koolmatrie,from south Australia. Mr.Spence and her traveled together while she gave workshops in weaving.His role was to illustrate this period of time. While this produced a lot of figurative work what emerged upon his return to the Blue mountains was this,more abstract series of work.

Mr.Spence says of this period " During this time I recognized similarities between the symbols in Y vonne'sweaving paterns and the symbols of the Orkey Islands where my family came from,a spiral,painted or etched on rock beginning in the center and spiraling outwards. the awareness that patterns of waving were like a symbol or instrument of order in Y vonne culture immediately struck a chork and meshed with the direction in which my work was heading-symbols of order and chaos. All this work focused on expressing the inexpressible,the inner self rather than the inspiration of the external. Interior rather than exterior,the experience of the self and the universal.

I am both a musician and visual artist. Music touches people both physically and spiritually in a firect way, conveying emotion,feeling and sensation through the vibration of sound.this series of work is much likevisual music,I feel it coming as close to the truth as I can get through of the divine essential truth rather than rationality. In this sense it has elements of reconcilation in a creative form."

"Ordered Chaos"
Graphic/ Paper
96"X72"
$14.000 © Spence

ORDERED CHAOS

This drawing was inspired from a journey I made with an aboriginal waver named Yvonne Coolmatrie in 1998. She was giving work shops to her own people and to anyone who was interested. It was a wonderful activity for the Coorie people as their old culture has been close to being wiped out. This weaving goes back thousands of years and it was a delight to see it being revived. My job was to document the 3 and 1/2 weeks I traveled with Yvonne and do a body of work (drawings). I came up with a body of figurative work from this time but it wasn¹t- til I came home to the Blue Mountains, that I started doing abstract drawings relating to this journey, the weavings and the Coorie culture. the circle in the middle of the drawing is of a mat weaved by Yvonne and to me a symbol of order and the surrounding is the illustrated Chaos in the modern world.

RECONCILIATION

This is similar to Ordered Chaos only this time I drew on engraved thick red paper. Red representing passion and blood (spilt in the many massacres of circle are very similar to the Coorie weaving pattern. This is why I have titled this REconciliation as the two cultures blend together. We all one with the divine.

"Reconciliation"
Graphic/ Paper
68"X48"
$9.000 © Spence

"A Sho tOut of Darkness"
Graphic/ Paper
68"X48"
$7.000 © Spence

A SHOT OUT OF DARKNESS

This drawing was a direct expression on the spiritual inspiration received from the book I red by Thomas Merton.Merton was a troppist monk who in the last 29 yr. of his life lived in solitude and wrote many books on spiritual matters. In his lsdt year he travelled throughout Asia studing other religions.

ALL IS ONE, ONE IS ALL

This coming back to the knowledge of all life forms are one with the divine and that having a clear and balanced view of this world we would find it almost impossible to bring harm to anyone or any life's form.

"All is One, One is All"
Graphic/ Paper
68"X60"
$7.000 © Spence

"Photosynthesis"
Graphic/ Paper
56"X60"
$3.500 © Spence

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

This was inspired from the life force in nature and plant life in general. The creative order you see in nature , plant life and all living things.

Education

1957-1963 Correspondence School taught by governess.
19564-1966 St John Fishers Catholic Primary.
1967-1968 Nudgee College as a boarder.
1969-1970 Townsville Grammar School
1982-1983 Foundation year at City Art Institute, Paddington,Sydney.

Emplovment

/stockman(sheep and cattle}, machinery operator, plastics,organic gardener, hospital porter, kitchen hand ,baker.

I have been a professional artists since 1980.

These and other images by Thomas Spence can be seen and purchased at the Ezair Gallery and through this online exhibit you can get all the information via e mail:

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