Tom Estes | cannabisartguild

Tom Estes - London, ENG

Guild Rep. EU

I studied History of Art at the American University in Paris, Social Economic History at Oxford University, and Fine Art at Central St, Martins London. I also have a professional qualification in Video Production from City & Guilds.

I grew up on a small farm in the U.S.A and moved to Paris before settling in London as my base of operations. One of my parents was an immigrant and likewise I too have become one. Immigration has always induced some sense of concern in the citizens already living in a country so the disenfranchisement of 'the Other' is a constant riff in my work.

There is a real Peter Pan Syndrome at play in my work and although I am skilled in many disciplines, and often employ a wide variety of different media in my work, it is digital photography that is at the heart of my practice. I suppose I would consider myself a carnival sideshow conceptualist, combining a bare-bones formal conceptualism with an eternally adolescent, DIY comic-prank approach.

Tom's work has been hung, played and performed in a few of the world's right places and a couple of deliciously wrong ones. Tom regularly works with collectives such as The Red Velvet Curtain Cult , Art Evict and Art Pendeo in the United Kingdom as well as The Biennial Project from Boston in the U.S.A.

He has shown internationally and presented work at exhibitions such as the opening night of The London Art Fair, AXIS International in Chicago, at Tate Modern’s exhibition No Soul For Sale and Into The New at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Tom's work is in several major collections such as The Agency of Unrealized Projects (AUP) at The Serpentine Gallery and The Tate Modern's archives. I have presented work and papers at international confrences such as DRHA 2014 (Digital Research for the Humanities & Arts) as part of In Dialogue at Nottingham Contemporary, Gallery Camp at The New Gallery Walsall and Giant Step -Marginal Establishments, Cooptation and Resistance (In association with The European Foundation, MOYSTN and The Vanabbemuseum).

Tom's writing has also been published as part of The (Im) Possible School Book at the The Tanks Art in Action at Tate Modern and my work has also been included in a new book of Performance Art - Emergency INDEX – published by Ugly Duckling Press. The Champagne launch has been called one of the "8 things to do in the New York Art world" by the Observer's Gallerist NY.