Tom Lock (b. 1981 in Norwich) is an artist based in London. His work has been exhibited and screened at places such as The London open 2018 – Whitechapel Gallery , London, Focal Point Gallery – Southend, Tate Britain, CCA – Glasgow,The Institut Français – Japan and the Nottingham Contemporary. He took part in the Lux Associate Artist Programme 2012-13 and completed an M.A. in Film and New Media at Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains – France in 2010.
A passionate curiosity about science and spirituality underpin the themes and concerns within Lock’s practice. He explores the use of symbolic imagery related to these two colossal subjects. Science-Fiction and Fantasy literature regularly inform a research base for his practice. The authors that inspire Lock range from Octavia E. Butler to Ursula Le Guin,amongst many others. He is drawn to writers that explore issues related to both humanistic
and other worldly ideas. Lock predominately works with animation and often sets up psychedelic and mesmerising scenes that merge playfully into one another. In parallel, his practice draws on the type of imagery used in children’s story books and T.V. shows. He utilises the colourful and pop aesthetics associated with this area of culture, combining low-fi 2D aesthetics with digital media. The audio-visual relationships that develop within Lock’s work range from being meditative to whimsical. He regularly collaborates with musicians and sound artists that enjoy exploring how rhythm and pace can be applied to a visual context. These discursive relationships create a space for exploring emotive arcs that ebb and flow in narrative compositions.
Exhibition: Weekday PSYCHEDELIA