Hayley Tompkins, Untitled 5, 2004
Hayley Tompkins selected by Sarah Lowndes (2004)
Sarah Lowndes selects the work of Hayley Tompkins
Since being short-listed for Becks Futures in 2004, Glasgow-based artist Hayley Tompkins has become associated with the small, lo-tech, unframed watercolour drawings which are installed, often staged, with the viewer's physical encounter in mind. Modernism and minimalism are recurrent references in the drawings, citing Malevich, Sonia Delaunay, Oskar Schlemmer and Minimalist sculpture as influences.
In contrast to the crisp, clean white sheet of paper, the lo-tech, worn effect indexes the presence of the artist's hand and brings in to play the suggestion of an image's history. For Tompkins, it is important that the work exists as naturally as possible, so nothing should feel too forced: 'The way things are arranged should feel quite behavioural, as if someone had been there and done that thing'.
Writing on Tompkins' process of drawing, Katerina Gregos notes 'each drawing begins with an idea or a state of mind that is then expressed or explored. Conceived mentally, the execution is quick and to the point. There are no wasted or superfluous decorative elements. Her working process consists primarily of small, suggestive and deliberately unspectacular gestures, which require close inspection, time and effort on the part of the viewer and, even then, defy facile interpretation'.
Tompkins (b. 1971) has exhibited widely both in the UK and internationally since graduating from the MFA at Glasgow School of Art in 1998. Recent shows include The Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, Country Grammar, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Minimalism and After III, Daimler Chrysler, Berlin and a solo exhibition at Andrew Kreps, New York. She lives and works in Glasgow.
About Sarah Lowndes
Sarah Lowndes is the author of Social Sculpture: Art, Performance and Music in Glasgow, a social history of independent practice, exhibitions and events since 1971 (STOPSTOP, 2004). Lowndes is a visiting lecturer to the Historical and Critical Studies Department at Glasgow School of Art, where she teaches the courses Do It Yourself and Performance Art.
She is currently undertaking PhD research into the 1960s and 1970s performance work of the Los Angeles based artists Chris Burden, Bas Jan Ader, Bruce Nauman and Paul McCarthy. A regular contributor to Frieze and other journals, her recent catalogue essays include 'The Echo Show' (Glasgow, 2003), 'Synth' (Leipzig, 2004) and 'Flesh at War With Enigma' (Basel, 2004).
These biographies were written in (2004) as part of the Open Frequency programme. For the most current information, please visit:
Open Frequency (2004–2014)
This profile was part of Open Frequency, an Axis programme that highlighted emerging developments in contemporary art practice across the UK. Artists were selected and profiled by leading curators, artists, and writers, offering unique insights into the practices shaping contemporary art at the time. These archives remain a valuable resource for understanding the trajectory of some of the most exciting artists of the period.
Please note: All biographical information reflects the time of publication.
