Cynthia Corbett Gallery presents Tom Leighton Appropriation of Space on view through 25 September 2010.
The photographs of Tom Leighton engage with urban landscape. By digitally altering photographs Leighton tries to deconstruct and retranslate the cities that we inhabit.
Creating fictional landscapes allows him to ignore the constraints of possibility and logic. However as much as he pulls apart and constructs his unique urban views, he aims to create a believable view of the world, which verges on the surreal but remains rooted in reality. Leighton finds that city architecture & infrastructure makes the urban environment a „seasonless‟ place. “My photographs are akin to a memory of a place – a distorted, reconstituted reality – by creating areas of ambiguity, I play with the brain‟s capacity to ignore or falsely correct what doesn‟t initially make sense. Frequently I try to leave the viewer of my work floating from an „all seeing‟ elevated dreamlike perspective – they become disconnected/disassociated and are left reflecting a vision of urban splendour which simultaneously conflicts with the evident paranoia inherent in contemporary society.” So in constructing his urban views he uses a number of indicators that set the tone of the photograph. For example bare trees and night settings indicate winter. In his work Leighton finds it important to incorporate some kind of organic movement to contrast against the symmetrical & restrictive architecture, and the artificial and seemingly everlasting city lights.
Tom Leighton was born in London in 1981. Following his BA in printmaking from the University of Brighton in 2004, he gained an MA from the Royal College of Art in 2006. Throughout his practice, Leighton has worked with urban landscapes. In 2006 he won the John Purcell Paper Prize and the Thames & Hudson Book Prize. He has exhibited in London, Paris, Tokyo and the United States. Collections include The Sandor Family Collection, Chicago, Kunsthalle Weishaupt Collection, Ulm Germany, MuCEM (French National Museum of European and Mediterranean civilizations), Tiroche Collection, UK/Israel, The Shein Family Collection of Pennsylvania, Felix Robyns, 12 Advisors Group, London/Brussels, Nicholas Topiol, President of Christian Lacroix, Paris, The UBS Art Collection, JCA Group, London & The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Leighton lives and works in London and is represented by The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London.
The Starke Foundation aims to assist artists through its ‘artist in residence’ programme. Out of the applications received, an independent jury selects the artists and art trends in which the Foundation will sponsor in the year to come. The Starke Foundation provides the selected group of artists with residential and working premises for a period of 3 to 12 months. Short-term accommodation is also available for more established artists. Such widely spread sponsoring opportunities are designed to support the personal visions and styles of each artist, whilst also encouraging artistic development and growth. In addition, the Starke Foundation Starke arranges numerous national and international contacts with museums, galleries and public institutions as well as with representatives in the fields of culture, science, economy, sports and politics. It is through the ‘artist in residence’ programme that talented yet unestablished artists are able to realize their artistic visions into projects.
The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, an international contemporary art gallery represents emerging and newly established cotemporary artists and is a regular exhibitor at major international contemporary art fairs and curates exhibitions. The Cynthia Corbett Gallery has an annual programme of ‘Pop Up’ exhibitions that take place throughout the year in Cork Street, London W1, London’s East End and New York City. corbettPROJECTS launched in 2004, focuses on presenting curated projects that address contemporary critical practice and works with emerging curators and artists for sire specific installations. These solo and group exhibitions which are selected by a curatorial panel led by Director, Cynthia Corbett, presents an innovative programme of events in a variety of media including photography, painting, sculpture, performance art and particular emphasis is placed upon emerging video art. In 2009 the Gallery launched biannual the Young Masters Art Prize sponsored by AXA UK.
European Month of Photography
Tom Leighton exhibiting at Foundation Starke as part of the European Month of Photography, which runs 15 October – 28 November 2010
Tom Leighton featured in the Young European Photography section.
Image: Tom Leighton, Beijing Canopy 2, 2010. C- Type Digital Print, Perspex mounted, 122 x 122 cm / 48 x 48 in. Photo: Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Cynthia Corbett Gallery. 27 Cork Street, Mayfair, London W1 United Kingdom T. +44 (0) 20 8947 6782
www.thecynthiacorbettgallery.com
