Tom Farthing

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Tom Farthing gained his MA in 2013 from Chelsea College of Art, and his BA in 2005 from the Ruskin School, Oxford University.

Inspired by artists such as Alex Katz, Tom Farthing re-imagines figurative painting in a contemporary context.

Farthing's subjects are concerned with memory and presenting familiar scenes that we can all relate to, evoking a specific and personal response from the viewer based on their own experience.

In March 2015 we exhibited Tom Farthing's 'Projections', a series of paintings whose starting point was a discarded collection of Kodachrome slides showing unknown family portraits and gatherings. The resultant paintings were a response to the past, but at the same time projecting possible narratives and alternative realties for today.
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During 2017 Tom Farthing was artist in residence at NES in Iceland, where he made drawings, watercolours and oil paintings from the landscape in and around Skagaströnd. He developed more work from his research on his return to London.
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Tom Farthing has just finished taking part in the Turps Banana Studio Programme. This provides a dynamic structure of: mentoring; peer-led learning; stimulating conversation and debate, through discourse and practice.

His current output 'Fairground Pop' is a series of bright, pop art inspired paintings of familiar scenes at a fairground. On viewing these works we are immediately transported to our own memories and can even hear the load pop or organ music that always accompanies such visits.

Tom Farthing says "My work is engaged with painting the past at the same time as imagining a way forward for painting amongst the fast paced digital image saturated contemporary world".

Recent exhibitions include: Slate Projects "Goloso" in 2018; Pleasure Islands, Artwork Atelier, Salford 2016; Young Masters Dialogues at Sphinx Fine Art, London 2015; Cynthia Courbett Gallery Summer Exhibition, London 2015; Projections, Zimmer Stewart Gallery, Arundel, 2015 (solo).

Pentimenti at Maybe a Vole Gallery, London 2014; The End is Where We Start From, Slate Projects, London 2014; S.I.T.E CCW Alumni Show, Chelsea College of Art 2013; Sunday Salon at Oakley Road Project Space, which he co curated; Westall/Sorrell in association with FAD Contemporary; Strata Art Fair, and The Saatchi Gallery, London 2013.

Tom Farthing is also a printmaker, creating thought provoking, semi-abstract screen prints.

Tom Farthing was born in Boston, MA, USA (1982) and shortly afterwards his family moved back to the UK. He lives and works in London.