Thomas Hodges-Gilbert

I am an animal enthusiast and enjoy exploring the boundaries that have arbitrarily distinguished the human from ‘the animal’. Anthropomorphised trickster characters appear throughout my work as fantastical creatures and guides. Through the exploration of the liminality of beings which are neither fully human nor fully animal, I believe we can unlock hidden truths and access ideas not normally available to humans.
 
Collecting materials is a huge part of my practice, as I constantly scavenge through skips and sift through flea markets for objects that will force me into making something unimaginable without them. Having my first studio as a teenager in a scrapyard off the A13 in Poplar – previously used as a wood recycling centre by two welcoming but eccentric characters – I have always appreciated things that have been discarded or left to the wayside. The marks and colours of objects are often the first factor in my decision-making, as I allow the material or surface to dictate the direction of the artwork. Similarly, the space in which I exhibit my work can be extremely important and can equally dictate the work’s result, as the installation can be as important as the work itself.