b. 5/9/1979


Born and raised in Northamptonshire Thomas William Dowdeswell was on a placement year at the University of California, Fullerton completing the third year of a BA (Hons) degree in American Studies when his life was irrevocably changed forever with the news of his father’s suicide.
Producing artwork had never been a consideration that Thomas had thought about until he returned to the UK that year and began dealing with the artefacts of his fathers estate. Amongfst other things he had been bequeathed a box of oil paints and brushes and with a heritage of drawing and painting which influenced both his parents and his grandmother Thomas began his first experiments with oil painting aged 22.
With an academic background rooted in 19th and 20th Century history and politics Thomas’s early works drew heavily on themes relating to the aftermath of September 11th and the subsequent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. At this time painting and politics were merging together as a great influence on Thomas’s life and he would often scour the pages of Newsweek or the Economist for portraits or scenes of conflict which he would then employ as templates for his next painting.
Upon finishing his degree Thomas travelled extensively, spending time in Australia, New Zealand, The United States, India and France, a sketchpad and notebook always on hand where he could scriven and sketch his observations.
His time spent back in the United States in particular proved pivotal to his artistic development. Painting by day in a friends garage and working in a local coffee shop by night Thomas began to experiment with thicker applications of paint and employ a variety of surfaces from wood and canvas to cardboard and mannequins producing a vibrant body of work in bold hues whilst retaining themes centred on the political issues of the period.
In the summer of 2004 Thomas returned to the UK and embraced a pattern of creativity which remains the foundation of his painting up to the present day. Immersing himself in the work of the Vorticists and Russian Futurism and in particular the work of C.R.W. Nevinson, Kasimir Malevich and Franz Marc Thomas began applying a linear dimension to his work which, when combined with a very formal application of pure pigments gave his images, both landscape and figurative, a robotic, mechanical quality.
As his style evolved his confidence grew recognising he had discovered a framework of creativity which he found accessible and ideally suited to the subjects he wanted to convey. Exhibitions in the UK, France and New York followed in the next few years as he continued to experiment with composition, subject and palette.
During this time Thomas’s output was significant, working on three or four canvases concurrently whilst garnering a back catalogue of ideas and concepts which increasingly revolved around the individual and his/her place within the context contemporary society. He now focused his efforts to creating work which reflected his observations on intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict; grappling with the premise of how the individual finds their way in the maelstrom of globalised 21st Century society where gadgets, brands and capitalist expectations have to a large degree homogenised individuality.
If we look at Siamese Schizophrenic as an example we can bear witness to a character who is tormented, fractured and dislocated as both an individual and within the context of the canvas itself. There is no central focal point but instead a cross-hatched alignment of flesh and colours and no guarantee that this conflict is going to be resolved either for the individual or society at large.
By employing some of the techniques of Futurism and Vorticism Thomas has concluded that he is re-modelling avant-garde styles of the 20th Century with a twist; where these movements embraced the machine-age as a positive development for humankind he suggests rapid technological development is fragmenting the concept of the individual whilst also threatening how we relate with one another and the society we live in.
Since relocating to Bristol in 2009 Thomas has become increasingly aware of the power art can have in peoples everday lives and although he has no direct link to or involvement with the street art movement he retains a belief that image making is a potent force both in uniting people through a common voice and also as a weapon of social commentary.

This evolotion of thought has been realised in Thomas’s most recent works which dileneate the struggles between local communities and the authorities during these times of increased economic and social hardship. “They Will Kick You in the Face Then Knee You Whe You’re Down” was produced as a direct result of the Stokes Croft riot, where the local community took to the streets in protest at the unnecessary opening of a Tesco Express which would threaten local busniesses. The painting is a reaction to the violent supression of this largely peacful protest by heavy handed police tactics.
Furthermore the recent riots across the UK have given Thomas a rich subject of debate which he is continuing to explore. His latest work is on a much larger scale measuring 20 feet by 5 feet with the working title ‘The Battle with the Boys in Blue/The Corruption of our Bloated Streets” and will attempt to bring into question why such violent dischord is flaring up on our streets and wther it can be resolved and will on display at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol in January 2012.
In addition to this Thomas is preparing an exhibition to coincide with next years Olympic games where he will be displaying six large scale canvases celebrating the dynamic kinetics of the events themselves and which will be available to view from July 2012 at The Glass Room in Bristols Colston Hall.
In the meantime you can see a selection of Thomas’s work at this years Art London Fair through Arthur Ackermann Ltd or visit his website www.womanakkin.com for further details.
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