Jeff Thompson
Detritus,
Readymade ladders, wheelbarrow, powder coating,
2200 x 2000 mm
Jeff Thomson's Detritus is unlike anything in his expansive and treasured oeuvre of typical corrugated iron works. Where we might be more familiar with the Mahoe Leaf sculptures that have graced the sculpture trail for years, Detritus brings to mind a small playground in the forest - something native birds might perch on, or an animal might make a home in. The work is a look at the deconstruction of vernacular metal objects, using familiar imagery to create an intriguing, aestheticised artwork in the forest.
The multitude of rich, saturated colours in Detritus are stark in what is a dense patch of dark bush, a playful contrast of visual colour effects. The tangled linearity, the stripped back semi- transparent forms, are perhaps derived from the skeletal leaf structures of his familiar Mahoe leaves; the work achieves a similar web-like quality which seems to defy the strength and rigidity of the material. Thomson cuts out the bulk of the object with a plasma cutter, which he uses just like drawing with a pencil. This effect creates an intricate linear construction of outer and inner perimeters. Detritus breaks new ground by moving away from corrugated iron and using readymades, such as aluminium A-frame ladders, extension ladders, galvanised bins, number eight wire, paint buckets and wheelbarrows, to create an enchanting and delicately balanced playground of lines.
More from this artist
Artist Bio
Jeff Thomson is rather like a modern day Abel Tasman or Captain Cook. He sails freely into unknown seas, making important discoveries en route. "Simply by working with a new material he has enlarged our world." He has almost single handedly taken corrugated iron off the roof and put in on the wall and the pedestal.
And, by the way, he has put it back on the roof again!
Born in Auckland and growing up in Castor Bay on its North Shore a rather shy but outdoors orientated youth left handed and mildly dyslexic, Thomson has become without doubt the Corrugated Iron Man of Australasia.
From an early age he showed considerable promise, developing an ability to draw images quickly with pencil rather than using the written word. This artistic flair was soon picked up and nurtured. When he went to one of Auckland's most adventurous secondary schools, with a strong "Education through Art" tradition, it was clear that the next step was the Elam School of Art attached to the University of Auckland.
Here the young Thomson was exposed to a series of horizon-expanding situations that culminated in a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1981. Curiously his major focus as a student was not sculpture but painting and printmaking.
While taking a break from his art studies in 1980 Thomson found himself at Portobello, 20km out of Dunedin, living in a small seaside crib. It was during this time that a profound change occurred in Thomson's approach to life, art and environment. It came about through the discovery of an ancient pursuit - walking.
While walking the rural and urban miles Thomson started observing and collecting the wealth of highway paraphernalia that he found on our roadsides. These highway experiences culminated in the rural letterbox sculptures, the first body of Thomson's works to gain national recognition by a diverse range of New Zealanders. And it was through this letterbox series of works that Thomson came face to face with his chosen material - corrugated iron.
Literally out of the letter boxes emerged the large body of work for whcih he is now known on both sides of the Tasman.
Corrugated iron animals, birds, cars and people: these works have established Jeff Thomson fairly and squarely in the memory banks of most New Zealanders and many Australians.
I reiterate without fear of contradiction, that he is the undisputed Iron Man of Australasia.
Foreword/Four Words: The Corrugated Iron Man
John F. Perry Director The Bath House Rotorua's Art and History Museum, Jeff Thomson - Any Old Ironby Richard Brimer
