'Anything to help artists would be good for the city' - Cork-based artist calls for more galleries in Cork
Artist Tom Campbell ahead of his show opening in Outlaw Studios, Marina Commercial Park, Center Park Rd, Cork.
ARTIST Tom Campbell, who is exhibiting his work at Outlaw Studios at Marina Commercial Park until September 3, says there are not enough galleries in Cork. Bemoaning the dereliction in parts of the city, he says it would be “amazing” if estate agents allowed artists to exhibit in shops that are not being used.
“Anything to help artists would be good for the city,” says this Scotsman who moved to Cork twenty-two years ago, having worked in various European countries.
Tom also adds that pubs and cafés “could have serious exhibitions alongside their normal business, instead of just seeing art as decoration for the walls".
He cites the art gallery at Nash 19 restaurant on Princes Street as a good example of combining dining with the opportunity to view art by local artists.
The Rising Sons’ Brewery on Cornmarket Street has a papier maché hippopotamus on display made by Tom. He enjoys working with this material and is probably best known for the 100 life size papier maché dogs he made some years ago that were part of a public project.
Tom’s exhibition is his largest to date and includes affordable art. The interactive show is made up of drawings, paintings, sculpture and live performance. Throughout the exhibition, Tom will be working, giving the public an opportunity to see inside his studio and to have their portraits drawn. People can also commission a piece of their choosing.
Mural work is part of Tom’s output. He has created a mural for Electric Picnic, along with four other artists invited to take part in this commission. Tom’s mural has a peace theme, portrayed by doves. “With peace, comes love and freedom,” says Tom. As well as his anti-war stance, he is doing something about the environment.
Tom is a founding member of a tree planting project called Trees Please. The group has distributed 10,000 trees in about four years across Ireland.
“I’ve planted trees in the Glen but it’s quite a battle because the bracken outgrows the trees and there’s a lot of fires there.” Tom, who completed a foundation course in art in Leeds, dropped out of two art colleges. “I’ve learned a lot more than I did at college.” Describing himself as “very self-critical,” Tom believes that “for the first time in my life I’ve done a really good piece of art".
"It’s a bronze sculpture of three dogs and a fish. I enjoyed the process of making it.
The life of an artist is challenging as it can be difficult to make a living from art. “My situation is not ideal. It’s sometimes very stressful.” Interested in clowning and performing, Tom says he has lost confidence in performing “partly because I haven’t done much since Covid".
"I get short bouts of depression. This year has been a little bit worse than other years. I’ve been to a psychotherapist. I’m in two minds about taking medication. I’m not on any.” When he is feeling depressed, Tom says is still able to work “although it’s more difficult".
However, he does his best to cheer himself up when he can by playing musical instruments in public, including the ukulele and the harmonica.
“I mainly play them when I’m walking around and sometimes when I’m riding a bike. I get lots of smiles from people. If I’m in the countryside, I like to play the instruments. Some say I do it to show off but I say, ‘nah, I’m doing it because I like it'." Tom also sings and has a YouTube channel featuring his songs. “They are very much improvised. Maybe I’ll bring out an album at some point.” All this creativity is a lifeline for Tom, who believes that art is a necessity and not a luxury.
"If creativity was embraced by people in an open way, it could transform society. Art can bring a lot of joy. Everyone is creative and enjoys creativity whether it’s music or visual art or whatever.”
Humour is also important for Tom in his art. He can treat heavy subjects with wryness, “often employing a provocative combination of lively colours, anthropomorphic animals with wistful expressions, always communicating the importance of respect, peace, understanding and love,” according to his press release. He has done creative work for mental health charities.
What brought this widely travelled artist to Cork? “I was tempted to live in Amsterdam but I decided against it. At the time, my parents (who are now both dead) had moved to Kilkenny as my mother loved Irish people. My father got a job in Kilkenny. I had my stuff in storage there. I had been in Cork for a couple of weeks and knew it was a good city. So I got the bus to Cork and I’ve been here since.”
Originally from the town of Dumfries in Scotland, Tom says that people living there are generally negative about the place, whereas Cork people like their city. “People here are relaxed and very friendly.” But Tom doesn’t view his adopted city through rose-tinted glasses. As well as the dereliction, “there is nowhere to live".
After the exhibition, Tom will present a new “thought-provoking” production at 6pm at the Marina on September 3. He then plans to go to Alba Piedmont in Italy where he will be making 100 papier maché dogs in a community project. For Tom Campbell, art is very much for the people.
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