Artist Interview: Thom Isom
Pauline Rowe: How and why did you become an artist?
Thom Isom: I never had any specific intentions to become an artist. My practice as a designer over the years has led me to collaborate with a variety of people in different practices – arts, music and film. As time has gone by I’ve found my ideas as a designer expanded into these different areas. Calling myself an artist is just an easy way to describe what I do.
PR: Do you have a favourite medium in which to work?
TI: Typography, illustration, video and animation. I’ve found a lot of cross over with these different mediums and feel each complement one another well.
PR: Can you tell me about your approach to making the publication for the exhibition?
TI: Conversation has been key in the production of the publication. I started with meeting and chatting to each of the artists in person or over Skype. Rather than just request their images and pick and choose my favourites to put into the publication I wanted to learn about the process, methods and stories behind their work.
After several conversations it was clear a new format was needed to present the work. Rather than imitating the photos in gallery and prescribing the order I decided to create a format that encouraged play and self curation. This is when I decided to produce a box with prints, introducing materials that reflect the work and ideas each of the artists explore.
PR: What has been most difficult in collaborating with other artists? What have been the best aspects of collaborating?
TI: Trying to establish a format and outcome that best worked with each of the artists ideas has been the most difficult part of this project. Although themes and ideas are similar the artists intentions differ. The best aspect of collaborating on this project was learning about these different intentions and approaches to photography.
Poems for further reading linked to some of the ideas in Thom Isom’s publication:
The Little Box: Vasko Popa
http://allpoetry.com/The-Little-Box
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A PDF pack containing interviews with each of the artists exhibiting in Open 2: Pieces of You is available to download here.
