RHYS FULLERTON REVIEWS
Thomas Cameron’s debut exhibition at The Sutton Gallery in 2015 was a huge success and resulted in a sell-out. He returns two years later with a new collection of works, which show his progression and maturity as an artist.
I’ve been a huge admirer of Cameron’s work for a number of years (see here and here) and it’s refreshing to see a young artist stick to his style but also branch out to explore different people and places.
Water seems to be a new favourite subject for Cameron, as is beautifully evident in Descent and Divers. Looking up at the light shimmering off the surface in Descent really immerses you in that scene.
In Shallow Dive a man launches himself into the sea, but I found the piece mysterious. Cameron has captured this scene at a precise point, and it left me wondering what he is diving into. When I looked at it I got the sense of a man free-falling into the unknown, and the rippled sea could easily be a rippled cloudy skyline instead.
Swans on Loch Lomond is a beautiful piece. Two swans drift on a seemingly empty loch, but are at least together. Despite their togetherness, I felt there was a sense of loneliness. The beautiful colours really capture and enhance the scene.
There’s a sense of mystery also in Fast Flowing River. The figure stands alone and lonely, as if in a still from a film.
The evocative Red Sand is very much like an old childhood photograph, but the piercing reds raise unanswered questions.
I enjoyed Cameron’s dark and dramatic still life, Flowers by a Window. It’s perhaps the still life you would expect him to paint, so seeing the contrasting Orchid I (top-right), II and III shows he’s willing to try something more traditional as well.
There are still some typical Cameron scenes and subjects on display. Fire escapes, garages, cracked pavements, and satellite dishes are still a comfortable subject for him, and are captured with his usual stylistic flare.
Mountains on TV immediately gave me the sense that we were in the middle of a kitchen-sink drama. The contrast between the TV and the darkened and cramped living space is highlighted by the mountain scene on the TV as well as the colours, which bring it to life.
The sun and shadows in Red Fog reminded me of a Western before the big shoot-out. The streets have cleared and the sun is setting on nothing but cracked pavements and an empty road, waiting for what is about to come.
Thomas Cameron presents snapshots of life with dramatic, thoughtful and colourful panache. It’s not about size and spectacle; it’s about an intimate look through his worldview and with a wide colour palette to assist.—Rhys Fullerton
Thomas Cameron: Dream Sequence continues at The Sutton Gallery (18A Dundas Street) until 2 September 2017. Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–5pm. Admission free.