Nobody likes a whinger and if you ask Sam Thom, nobody likes Sam Thom either. Or, more correctly, Sam Thom’s art. His latest work, 'Homeless-Head Shark', is creating debate among the art community and angst in his neighbourhood. The notorious artist has installed the bright pink sculpture on the roof of his house in the eastern suburbs.
Thom is renown for his controversial works and has faced similar criticism before. Few could forget the furore surrounding his two previous sculptures- the soiled nappy clothesline and the leaking battery trail. Most of the disquiet this time appears to be due to the location of the shark. It is positioned crashing through the roof and juts out from dorsal fin to tail.
Well-used to defending his work, Thom says, “I passionately believe in the concept of the artist in the community. I have always tried to bring my work to the people. There are no groups in society that cannot benefit from the arts. This is clearly a case of NIMB (Not In My Backyard).”
Thom may well be right, but there are strong opinions surrounding his art, many of which centre around the spaces he chooses to exhibit. The value and quality of his sculptures have also been questioned.
“His work is mediocre at best,” states an unnamed critic. “He is not a strong voice in artistic -or ecological- circles. With his second-rate sculptures erratically and vulgarly displayed, the name Sam Thom is not held in any esteem. As far as I know, he is not on show in any major gallery.”
This is partly correct. For all his publicity, no Sam Thom sculptures have ever been acquired by Australian or international galleries. Helena Hoopmann, head of sculptural acquisitions at the Gallery of Modern Art, explains. “We would love to have a sculpture from him, but for Sam, the art and the space it inhabits are organic. The positioning of his work is just as important as the piece itself. One cannot commission something from Sam Thom. He would consider that a request for sky hooks and gravity clamps.”
A vocal advocate of Thom’s, she continues. “Sam is a purist and a visionary. Every phase of his work is meticulously planned and created. He uses only sustainable, eco-friendly materials. Each of his pieces have a message and he lives that message.”
Indeed, Thom has been very vocal in pushing his message through his art. 'Nappyline' was accompanied by a written explanation pegged to the line; fliers were also handed out. Refusing to wear a biohazard suit when dismantling batteries for 'Battery/ed', he ended up with corrosive burns on his hands which were photographed and included in the exhibit. All of this adds to the perception that Thom is more exhibitionist than exhibitor. His shows are regarded by many as stunts.
Founder of the J.A-S Space, James Austin-Stephenson agrees. “Yes, he exhibits publicly, but only for publicity’s sake. For all his talk of ‘community art’ and ‘ecological messages’, the bottom line is he exhibits for maximum exposure and attention. The work is secondary to his message. That is not the motive of a true artist. 'Battery/ed' may have been an interesting piece… without the photos. It was just another typical example of his ‘poor me’ mentality . ‘Poor me- I can‘t get into a gallery. Poor me- everyone hates my work. Poor me- I suffer physically for my work.’”
Perhaps Thom is entitled to a little self-pity. Few artists in the modern Australian era have been subject to such harsh criticism. Everyone, from the art community to art lovers, casual observers and his neighbours have an opinion. Few are positive.
While there is certainly an element of sensationalism in his exhibitions, there may also be a practical element too. Faced with alleged ‘size 15 carbon footprint, earth-enemy, diversity-barren gallery owners’, Thom has little choice but to exhibit elsewhere. It is no wonder he must display his work with the greatest coverage in mind.
“Its not as simple as not wanting to contain my work,” Thom emphasises, “although it is true I have faced massive opposition from many galleries. It comes down to the fact that to me, for example, a washing line of dirty nappies belongs outside, and what better place for it than strung around the columns of Parliament House?”
And the shark? In his neighbourhood? “All of nature is fighting for survival against the machine of time, humankind and progress. We shove everything aside in our quest for dominance of this planet. The shark is no longer at home in the ocean. My house is a haven for the Earth’s displaced.”
So is Thom an artist with a rare understanding of space and objectivity or simply a man with a message? If you ask his neighbours, he is a neither. While most claim to be advocates of art and sustainable living, it is difficult to find voices appreciative of the giant pink shark in their neighbourhood. “Ask in a survey and everybody loves art, but at grassroots level it must conform to a certain aesthetic. I am not interested in that attitude,” says Thom.
Certainly, Sam Thom evokes a strong response. Whether he is a shameless popularist or a cutting-edge artist, it is hard to imagine him at a cocktail party opening of his work in a white-walled gallery.
“You would more likely find me collecting the glasses and serviettes for recycling,” he laughs.
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