TOM SPEEDY

_His practice explores open and ambiguous narratives, often reflecting states of drifting, separation and displacement. These ideas manifest in the swirling, fragmented, and cosmic qualities of the work. He combines landscape with figurative narratives, seeking tension between the figure and the world it inhabits. The motifs he uses are drawn from fleeting, often mundane memories—snapshots taken whilst travelling. Figures engaged in leisurely acts like fishing, skating, or water polo are reimagined as otherworldly, hallucinogenic images on a grand scale. Tom is drawn to the untouched and unexplored qualities of our environment, a sort of ‘no man’s land’ where unrelated places and incidents intertwine. This is a rich and unmined territory for him. Each canvas measures 192 cm², aligning precisely with the span of Tom’s outstretched arms. This enables confident, dynamic gestures in strong, sweepin_g motions across the surface.

Tom’s painting process is driven by an intuitive and experimental approach to decision-making. Exciting, organic qualities emerge through the mark-making processes that risk destruction; trial and error is crucial to every work. It is not unusual to register ten or more versions of the image beneath the final painting, in which dramatic alterations and revisions drive the image forward to a balanced solution. He mixes paint generously in large pots and jars—often using old, congealed, or drying pigment to produce the richest marks. Thin washes of white spirit are applied to reactivate the surface beneath. Tom scrubs back the previous layers using abrasive materials to generate new textures and hues in a restless pursuit of the final composition.