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Thomas Hjelm
Thomas Hjelm is a half-Swedish half-British multimedia artist who has technology and digital printing at the centre of his artistic practice. His captivating works are made of layers of imagery that the artist creates with scanners and printers that he reworked in a way that they produce unique imagery instead of endless reproductions. To him, it’s about materiality and the transfixation of the surface, combined with references to personal experiences.
Have You Been Feeling It Too, 2021
130w x 170h cm
Inkjet + Paint on Linen
Ships from London
£ 6,900.00
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As he explains, he “messes with the settings of the printer”, and in that way, each time it printed, it would never recreate the same print over and over again. So in other words, “they became machines of mass production that would only make unique imagery.” He further incorporates his own emotive experiences by including cityscapes interjected with the slogans or writings that we found on a day to day basis; overhearing sentences on the street, or that just come to mind. Bringing together these different references, statements and imagery can be seen as a sort of creating a collage. But it’s not the case. Because in Thomas’ work, there is no separation of where the images come from. It’s all brought together within and transfixed on the surface.
'Echo 1', Part of the series "Echoes", 2022
50w x 60h cm
Engraved Acrylic, Inkjet, Oil stick, Paint on Blue-Back Paper & Dibond
Ships from London
£ 1,095.00
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“My work is about materiality and the transfixation of the surface. My practice is self-reverent, I take from personal experience, constant collaging and cataloguing of imagery, constant feeding a narrative that consists of different referencing points, bringing everything together.”
'Echo 2', Part of the series "Echoes", 2022
50w x 60h cm
Engraved Acrylic, Inkjet, Oil stick, Paint on Blue-Back Paper & Dibond
Ships from London
£ 1,095.00
View
In the scanning process, the objects are pressed against the glass, which in turn shifts these objects into a dissociative flatness. Yet, this flatness is quickly counteracted with physical interjections by the modified printers on the surface of the canvas as his art’s medium, whereby the hierarchical importance of the medium is disintegrated. Hence, a combination of the digital and the physical occurred.
'Echo 3', Part of the series "Echoes", 2022
50w x 60h cm
Engraved Acrylic, Inkjet, Oil stick, Paint on Blue-Back Paper & Dibond
Ships from London
£ 1,095.00
View
'Echo 4', Part of the series "Echoes", 2022
50w x 60h cm
Engraved Acrylic, Inkjet, Oil stick, Paint on Blue-Back Paper & Dibond
Ships from London
£ 1,095.00
View
Anchoring this cohesion of digital and physical is an ‘Error State’, where the machines pushed and pulled linens through to produce numerous layers of scanned imagery and paint, built and printed over themselves with limited control. To Thomas, this ‘Error State’ denotes a pure form of imperfection, where the common denominators between man and machine are reduced only to their temperamental nature.
It’s very insightful to consider how two art historical figures, Robert Rauschenberg and Barbara Kruger have influenced his work. Many years ago, Rauschenberg opened Thomas’ eyes to what art could be. “It’s about the physicality, the combination of printed materials and how you bring separate elements together,” he explains, “and how it takes on its own life.” Kruger, on the other hand, has influenced his work in the way how “she uses fonts and bold imagery that is a subversive advertisement, playing into that language and simplifying it down to a core of black white and red. These bold statements, limited text and punchy messages.” You can recognise both influences in Thomas' work. The incorporating a punchy current day slogans and phrases, but also in a very unique way, he pushes the boundaries of materiality, by using unconventional materials and bringing together a wide range of elements and referencing points.
'Echo 5', Part of the series "Echoes", 2022
50w x 60h cm
Engraved Acrylic, Inkjet, Oil stick, Paint on Blue-Back Paper & Dibond
Ships from London
£ 1,095.00
View
His characteristic artistic processes and tools make Thomas Hjelm a prominent emerging artist in LDN 2DAY. Thomas was born and raised in London, and has a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art, and obtained a Master’s degree from Royal College of Art, London in 2021. He was part of the London Grads Now 21 show at the Saatchi Gallery in 2021, where he curated, and had his work exhibited at the show. His solo show ‘Hold Me Closer’ is currently on view as part of the 2021 Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize. His works were also exhibited across the city in Soho Revue Gallery, Cromwell Place, and the Southwark Park Gallery. Thomas was also awarded a residency with Roman Road Gallery in 2020, and was recently also Highly Commended for the prestigious Ashurst Art Prize.
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LDN 2DAY is a virtual group show and will be on view until the 4th of June, 2022.
Artwork photographs courtesy of the artist. Portraits taken by Alina zum Hebel (website/ instagram).
Photography courtesy of the artist.
