Tom Sladden

Light Air

4 – 30 April 2023

I started this series during the first lockdown – we were isolating, and everyone was a bit scared and wide eyed.

I had seen a series of figurative paintings by the Irish abstract painter Sean Scully of his son, they struck home. I carried those thoughts and images of his series Eleuthera, into lockdown. They opened the door for me to dive into the archives and look through some old Super 8 footage from the 1970’s and family snapshots.

Looking at the 12 works now there is a thread I wasn’t aware of while working on these paintings. There seems to be an air of defiance and stoicism inherent in most of the figures. They look to be on the edge, a new frontier land of sorts.

Tom Sladden, April 2023

Tom Sladden: Blue tarp (Ngapotiki) 2020, oil and pencil on board, 860 x 830 mm $4200

Tom Sladden: Waterfall boy 2023, oil and pencil on board, 970 x 760 mm $4200

Tom Sladden: Neap tide 2020, oil and pencil on board, 1160 x 830 mm $5200

Tom Sladden: We three boys 2022, oil and pencil on board, 1000 x 820 mm $4800

Tom Sladden: Full width 2022, oil and pencil on board, 620 x 740 mm $3000

Tom Sladden: East Cape 2020, oil and pencil on board, 1270 x 1080 mm $5800

Tom Sladden: Set wave 2020, oil and pencil on board, 960x 1260 mm $5,200

Tom Sladden: Rotoma 2022, oil and pencil on board, 900 x 1200 mm $4800

Tom Sladden: Brothers 2022, oil and pencil on board, 890 x 1220 mm $4800

Tom Sladden: Light air 2022, oil and pencil on board, 1370 x 1360 mm $6500

Tom Sladden: Zodiac 2022, oil and pencil on board, 900 x 1220 mm $4800

Tom Sladden: Quiksilver, 2020. oil and pencil on board, 920 x 685mm $4200