Tom Wilson: Miscellany and Mugshots

Edinburgh based artist and former Open Eye Gallery owner and director Tom Wilson presents 'Miscellany and Mugshots', an exhibition of works presenting recent pencil and crayon works on paper, montages of the discarded treasures of everyday life, alongside a collection of graphite portraits referencing both fine art and photography, chosen from a collection of images amassed over many years.

An exhibition of two halves, Miscellany showcases recent pencil and crayon works on paper, drawing on some old and new themes. It highlights Wilson's interest in everyday objects and the beauty he sees in them. Having always been fascinated by the simple juxtaposition of placing these individual items in interesting compositions and the possibility of telling a little story of time and place, he often uses titles that can add a new dimension to the subject matter.

One section of Miscellany could come under the heading of ‘Kitchen Pictures’ many of which are inspired by Wilson's fascination with visiting food markets and the beauty he finds in the shapes and colour, fresh or mouldy, of the various items found on these expeditions. His cork drawings also fall into the same category. Collected from varied sources he uses titles relevant to the subject matter. This is an important element in the finished work. Many of these 'Kitchen Pictures' end their journey on kitchen walls, as opposed to grand drawing rooms, no bad thing as the kitchen, he feels, is the heart of the home.

In short, Miscellany is ‘what it says on the tin’, a mixture of the odd, and more importantly the ordinary, and highlights his belief in seeing something special in the things we sometimes take for granted.

Mugshots is a project which has been five years in the making, with it beginning, by chance, when Wilson came across a batch of vintage frames in an Antique fair in London. 'I was instantly intrigued by them. The sheer quality of the craftsmanship fascinated me and compelled me to discover the mystery behind these intricate objects. Research led me to realize that they were in fact contact printing frames, manufactured in the U.K. and the U.S.A. in the middle of the20th century for the purpose of developing film. Intricate moving parts on the reverse enabled film to be developed in sections in dark rooms throughout the country. Subsequently, over a period of time I managed to source many more of these frames, few of which were ever the same size.'

Fascinated by this discovery he thought it appropriate to re-purpose these frames by working on a series of portrait studies in graphite. All of these drawings have been chosen from a collection of images amassed over many years, consisting of newspaper and magazine cuttings, postcards, museum and exhibition catalogues, books, sketchbooks, photographs and found ephemera.

Manipulating this ephemera, mostly large and coloured, to miniature graphite studies to fit each individual frame seemed somehow to echo their history and original use. I hope by re-appropriating these frames by combining photography and Fine Art in a contemporary fashion, whilst honouring the past, is a satisfactory conclusion.'

Tom Wilson's practice strikes a balance between a traditionalist approach to creation, studying paintings of masters and referencing art history, with the exploration of modern day themes and consumerism.

Wilson has maintained his practice outside working hours and has exhibited in many galleries previously such as the Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh; Galerie Tendenz, Sindelfingen, Germany; the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valetta, Malta; The Royal Institute of Fine Arts; The Royal Scottish Academy; Panter and Hall, London; Resipole Gallery, Inverness. His practice reveals the love of drawing found at the age of 16 which has been nourished through his travels and admiration of his surroundings ever since.