Tom Foulsham

About

Tom Foulsham's idiosyncratic works start as explorations of a current fascination. It might be an investigation into an overlooked attribute of a particular object, or into alternative applications of materials and processes. Whilst he graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Design Products, relatively few of his installations have a practical purpose. They point instead to a realm of extraordinary possibilities, where things behave in surprising and unpredictable ways. Among his sources of inspiration he cites the novels of Kurt Vonnegut and Russell Hoban's 'Marzipan Pig', books which provide him with visions of worlds 'where everything is one big tangle of connectivity'. He adds: 'I like to make objects which are almost at breaking point, to demonstrate the tension in what we perceive to be stability. I like them to be approachable and if possible interacted with ... allowing my structures to take on another life, as they become a part of the viewer's own thought process.' His inventive and innovative attitude recently earned him a place in Wallpaper magazine's Top 20 reasons to be in Great Britain (November 2010).

The large and small-scale works in this exhibition comprise balancing elements that include model houses, jars, bottles and a cruet set, as well as domestic labour saving devices such as a tumble dryer and a food processor. Foulsham harnesses the forces of such seemingly innocent objects and amplifies them to powerful effect, undermining expectations and inspiring the viewer to re-evaluate their everyday environment. Nothing is quite as it should be. In this alternative existence inanimate objects precariously balance,
jerk, wiggle or vibrate and machines are pitched against each other, setting up new chains of reaction and response.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Tom Foulsham (b. 1981) studied Architecture at the Bartlett, UCL, before working in the practices of Thomas Heatherwick and Ron Arad. He went on to study for an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 2009. His one-off work was included in the exhibition 'In Praise of Shadows' at the V&A (2009) and in a solo show at Minnie Weisz Studio, London (2010). He was recently commissioned to animate the furniture in an exhibition of works by Ron Arad, entitled Restless (2010), at the Barbican Art Gallery.

Marsden Woo Project Space is curated by Tessa Peters

The Marsden Woo Project Space is an exciting new initiative running alongside our established programme of solo and small group exhibitions by gallery artists. The Project Space allows us to respond quickly to significant bodies of innovative work and will be used to showcase the work of talented emerging artists and designers and fresh directions in the work of more established artists. These exhibitions are organized at short notice, so please check our website regularly for news on forthcoming shows and events.