Lives and works in Melbourne
\ Artists
Tom Adair
"Airbrush is like a refined form of graffiti, I have adapted this into something familiar yet new. For me it's the layering of neon and specialist framing that really gives a quality and brings my pieces to life."
Born in Melbourne in the eighties and immersed in graffiti subculture, Adair's refined exploration of medium, is a clear progression from an adolescence spent spraying walls with pressurised paint. The picture perfect homes dotted across flat dibond surfaces are a personal response to the illusion of the idyllic family home through the means of architecture influenced by a professional career focused around design and interiors.
Viewed from afar, the works appear as monochromatic colour images from the mid-century architecture era. Adair engages many processes while producing the romantic pieces, first documenting the dwellings using photography and digitally creating halftone renderings before spending countless hours meticulously airbrushing the works by hand.
The addition of hand bent neon lights are used to accent each structure and invite the viewer closer to a more intimate level where the swirling electricity and softness of the airbrush can be appreciated on a more personal level.
\ Artworks
\ News
Are these contemporary artists the future of the market? AFR, 22 May, 2024
22 May 2024
by Elizabeth Fortescue
[Leonard Joel's annual sale] Centum is important because the artworks are often by less established and younger artists with the potential to have market “longevity”. In other words, Leonard Joel believes these artists could help form the bedrock of the art market in future.
\ Exhibitions featuring Tom Adair
Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm Saturday, 11am - 4pm Summer Dates: The gallery will close on Friday 20 December and reopen on Monday 13 January, 2025 Closed Public Holidays (and Easter Saturday)