Tom Estes profile picture

Tom Estes

I suffer from the strange delusion that I am living in the real world

About Me

TOM ESTES********************** ******************************************************Tom ESTES' work has been described as "darkly disturbing & hauntingly beautiful. While Estes sets out to put the resolution of his practice into inventions and fabrications, he playfully and irreverently tweeks the politics of display. His practice is a reflection of a "terrible lie" told in his youth. This lie, and its effects have remained unknown, but Estes' remorse has painted them in the cruellest possible colours. This tale is the product, no doubt, of a false shame and presents a life-time of self inflicted meomory and undying remorse. However, this 'terrible crime' represents the state of mind of a child living with a moment of irresponsible folly******************************************************* As an artist Estes is interested in the role of Anthropology in the study of human behaviour. Most scholars consider modern Anthropology as the study of the 'other' and as an outgrowth of the Age of Enlightenment and the first European colonization wave. In his practice Estes reverses this relationship, turning the anthropological eye and placing particular emphasis on the perspective and impact of long-term, experiential immersion, often known as 'participant-observation'. His area of research is based on issues surrounding longing and desire, and so often intermingles elements of personal stories with wider historical and social narratives. The work is comprised mainly of objects and social rituals 'found' in Western Society but through a playful and irreverent tweeking of the politics of display, creates slight shifts in perception. The work thereby suggests that fantasy and illusion are not contradictions of reality, but instead an integral part of our everyday lives.You can also see The work of Tom Estes at www.artdocs.co.uk/Photo-Gallery.html www.redvelvetcurtainclub.com www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

My Interests

Assimilation is Symbolic Annihilation- Tom Estes

I'd like to meet:

Here reside the unbaptized, the virtuous pagans, and those who did not pay fitting homage to their respective deity...Wise but faded beauties, knights in white satin, a dispossessed Arab prince, people who can talk to animals, an astronaut or those who have lost everything and have no regrets. Grieving their separation, without hope of reconciliation- they hope for something greater than rational minds can conceive. They are not punished in an active sense, but rather live in their deficient form of heaven; an ever-expanding rubric of visual and acoustic possibilites.

Music:

The Thirst, Alabama 3, The Moody Blues, Left Field, Everything But the Girl, David Bowie, Kate Bush, The Tiger Lilies, Blondie, The Violent Femmes, Billie Holiday, Led Zepplin, Goldfrappe, Tricky, Tears for Fears, Faithless, the Shamen.

Movies:

Darling, The Servant, The Killing of Sister George, Rebecca, Gods and Monsters, THe 5000 fingers of Dr. T, The ghost and Mrs. Muir, A bout de Souffle, The Europeans, A Street Car Named Desire, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Clueless, Logans Run, The Six Degrees of Separation, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, La Vie de Chateau, Legally Blond, Les Enfants du Paradis, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Great Expectations, Dune, Lord of the Rings, The Naked Civil Servant, The Belles of St. Trinians, Oliver Twist, Lord of the Flies, Bell Book and Candle, All About Eve, Words For Battle, Woman of the Year, Serial Mom, The Lion in Winter, Mary Poppins, Bednobs and Broomsticks, The Quiet Man.

Television:

Puff n Stuff, Addams Family, Shameless, Elizabeth R, Sopranos, Queer as Folk, Sex in the City, Six Feet Under, Some Mothers Do Have 'em, Only Fools and Horses, The Soparanos, Yes, minister

Books:

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, A Confederacy of Dunces, Watching the English, The Master and Margarita, and pop-up books or anything with pictures. Quote of the week: "every perception is hallucinatory because perception has no object" (Deleuze, The Fold)

Heroes:

Douglas Adams, Bjork, Leonardo Da Vinci, Andy Warhol, Gregory Peck, Tennessee Williams, Katherine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Oscar Wilde, Yogi Bear, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Tom Estes

My Blog

Lust & Luxuria

The Red Velvet Curtain Cult Present& 'Lust & Luxuria' @ The Whitechapel Art Gallery Friday 19th September 2008  7  11pm Advanced tickets £6/£5 concessions £3 Whitechapel members & free t...
Posted by Tom Estes on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:29:00 PST

LOST GIRLS (found objects) @ NO I.D. GALLERY,

LOST GIRLS (found objects) @ NO I.D. GALLERY, 24-26 Calvert Avenue, London E2 7JP. PRIVATE VIEW 25-09 08 26  09 09 TO 28-09-08 What do we think of when we hear the phrase ' Lost Girls '? Histo...
Posted by Tom Estes on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:32:00 PST

White Chapel Opening

"The Red Velvet Curtain Club presents and evening of art, music & performance where sanity slips off the radar & the moon teases the minds of mortals to acts of delerium and strangeness" Hey o...
Posted by Tom Estes on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:15:00 PST

ARCHIVE FEVER at Seven Sisters

I am showing my video 'ARCHIVE FEVER' in an exhibition opening this Friday, January 18th,  at Seven Sisters Gallery, Imperial Works,  Fountayne Road, London N15. www.myspace.com/sevens...
Posted by Tom Estes on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:31:00 PST

ART! An intimate salon-style pot-luck tea-party

tea and mini art exhibition Sunday October 14th, 4pm72 Riversdale Rd, London N5 Dress: like an artist. No stilettos. PBAB.  Bring food if inspired. A small salon-style tea-party.  The bedroo...
Posted by Tom Estes on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:37:00 PST

Exhibition in Mayfair

Annual Exhibition: Art work by members of The Arts Club October 15th -  November 3rd 40 Dover Street, Mayfair, London W1s 4NP http://www.theartsclub.co.uk/  ...
Posted by Tom Estes on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:51:00 PST

Tom’s latest exhibition

OUTSIDER: Artist Showcase at WhitechapelOutsider: Artist Showcase, Thu 6 September, 11am & 6.30pmDiscussion hosted by Bob and Roberta Smith 6.308.30pmWhitechapel Art Gallery80-82 Whitec...
Posted by Tom Estes on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:49:00 PST

xibit

a gentle reminder that this coming saturday the 8th sept 07 The Red Velvet Curtain invites you to come join us to Prestalgia: a pre-mourn of the love letter with an evening of romance passion & ob...
Posted by Tom Estes on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:41:00 PST

extended opening

As the exhibition 'Salon 07' has proved so popular, Seven-Seven gallery extended the exhibition  for a third week (opening next Thursday afternoon / evening and  Friday all day til the 27th ...
Posted by Tom Estes on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 07:41:00 PST

Salon 07,

You can see my latest 'painting' and print works in Salon 07, as judged for inclusion by Alex Michonhas, Co-Director at The Transition Gallery.  This is a unique, and fast paced e...
Posted by Tom Estes on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:19:00 PST