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Julian Thompson
Born 1975 - Lives and works in Burnie, Tasmania
One aim of Thompson's practice is therefore to meld the independent Australian mindset with the European traditions from which our own story of art is derived
For Thompson, the landscape of Western Tasmania is the ideal
vehicle for the exploration of twin interests: the science of
landscape formation and evolution, currently the subject of a
Masters thesis at the University of Melbourne, permeates his work;
whilst the landscape metaphor lies at the heart of human expression
- it is against nature that humanity defines itself.
Consistent among those familiar with Western Tasmania is an
overwhelming impression of a lonely and spectacular wilderness.
Unique in Australia, it represents the only significant tract of
temperate, non-arid landscape to remain substantially unaltered
since European arrival on the continent. A nexus of geographical
forces has influenced its creation; foremost of these is the
heavily maritime climate which, in conjunction with the mountains
of the region, results in the wettest temperate region in
Australia.
Of all Australia, the landscapes of Tasmania most closely resemble
those of Europe, with its abundance of lakes, temperate forests and
soft light. Accordingly, Thompson's work is a hybrid of two
painting traditions. The foremost influence is Romanticism, whose
notion of the sublime in nature finds its best expression here. The
Heidelberg School is also prominent. Art history holds that this
period represented a coming of age from the uneasy foisting of
European practices on unwieldy subjects by the colonial
artists.
One aim of Thompson's practice is therefore to meld the independent
Australian mindset with the European traditions from which our own
story of art is derived - to create works that fall somewhere
between the bi-polarity of the old and new worlds.
With numerous solo and group exhibitions since 2003, Thompson has
completed significant public commissions and has been selected as
finalist in the Glover Prize 2005, the Poimena Prize 2007 and the
Islington Prize 2009.
