Tom Carment has been painting and writing for over 50 years but it was in his mid twenties that he decided his work would be created solely from life. Changing light and weather conditions, sitter fatigue and repeated packing of materials became daily concerns.
His work crosses landscape, portraiture and still life and if you visited the Art Gallery of NSW in 2019 for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes you may have noticed that there was a Carment work shortlisted in every prize – a rare accomplishment for any artist.
The winner of numerous art prizes including the Gallipoli, Mosman and NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, Tom has been shortlisted in the Archibald 11 times and hung in the Salon des Refusés over 20 times. He has had over 25 solo shows and his work is held in public and private institutions in Australia and overseas.
He’s also an acclaimed writer and his most recent book – ‘Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes’ – is a memorable collection of stories over the time he has lived in Sydney’s inner city suburb of Darlinghurst including pictures of many of his paintings.
His solo show opens at King Street Gallery at the end of October 2019 and when I visited him at his Womerah Lane terrace he was in the process of framing dozens of oil paintings with beautiful Tasmanian blackwood.
In this podcast episode you will hear how he started out, his time in Lavender Bay in the 70s living next door to Brett Whiteley, how he only started painting still life at 60, as well as portraiture, landscape, process and more. Just click ‘play’ under the feature photo.
A short video of Tom in his home will be online before his exhibition opens and you’ll be able to see that on this website and the Talking with Painters YouTube channel.
Upcoming
Solo show King Street Gallery, Sydney, 29 October to 23 November 2019
Book launch of ‘Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes’, King Street Gallery, Sydney, 9 November 2019
Show Notes
Tom Carment
Tom Carment at King Street Gallery
Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes
Brett Whiteley
Wendy Whiteley
Tim Storrier
Albert Marquet
Giorgio Morandi
Guy Warren
Antonio Lopez Garcia
Diego Velazquez
J M Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice
Albrecht Dürer
‘Afternoon Shadow William Street’, 2014, oil on linen, 96 x 100cm
Winner NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize 2014
‘James Scanlon, Katoomba Portrait’, 2019, oil on linen, 32 x 25cm
Finalist Archibald Prize 2019
‘James Scanlon, at William Street’, 1989, oil on linen, 42 x 33cm
‘Singer typewriter in Don’s shed, Perth’, 2019, oil on linen, 43.5 x 53.5cm
Finalist Sulman Prize 2019
‘Where I scattered my Father’s ashes, Oratunga, SA’, 2019, watercolour on paper, 45.3 x 52cm
Finalist Wynne Prize 2019
‘Two red onions’, 2016, oil on linen, 15 x 20cm
‘Two eggs I’, 2017, oil on linen, 15 x 20.5cm
‘Winter sea, Sorrento’, 2018, oil on nine wood panels, 15 x 19cm (average size)
‘Night Road’, 1975, oil on canvas, 168.7 x 216cm
Permanent collection of the Art Gallery of NSW
Finalist Wynne prize 1975
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