Tom Arthur

Born Boston, USA

Lives & Works Sydney (Eora)

Tom Arthur has been described by Urszula Szulakowska in her book, Alchemy in Contemporary Art, as being one of the most original and innovative Australian artists. Originally from Boston, USA, Arthur was educated at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. He has been a resident of Sydney, Australia since 1973 and from 1976 he became an influential teacher at Sydney College of the Arts, with lasting effect on the practice of several generations of Australian artists.  

Tom is principally known as a conceptual installation artist whose works incorporate a wide range of processes, materials and contextual sitings. Conceived as self-contained entities, each work is akin to being a chapter of an ongoing narrative. The works are known for their technical and formal complexity as well as their critical engagement with the theorised and historically charged architectural spaces of the public art museum, exhibition space and gallery.  

His work is held in numerous public collections and has featured in exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Australia, the Serpentine Gallery in London, Luxembourg Gardens in Paris and various international biennales including the Australian ‘Perspecta’.