Little Interview

Over the last number of years, we have interviewed diverse members of the Glucksman community - artists, academics, staff members, guests, audiences and workshop participants. The responses are funny, inspiring, revealing and always a great read.

This month, we hear from artist Tom Climent, whose work Cambrian (2025) is one of five commissioned pieces which feature as part of our exhibition Domain of the Dinosaurs!

What are you reading?

At the moment the last book I read was Ireland's Trees, Myths Legends and Folklore by Niall Mac Coitir. Trees have become an important feature in recent works. I feel I've only really touched on them, and I'm trying to deepen my use of them. This book was brilliant in giving an insight into the tree as a marker of important places such as a royal site or holy well, and the role of different trees as sources of magical power in folk customs and superstitions.

Favourite museum?

The National Gallery in London was the first real institutional museum I visited. When I was 19 I spent a Summer in London, it was my first real exposure to international art. At the time I was studying engineering at the RTC (now MTU), but doing night classes in painting in the Crawford College of Art & Design. Seeing works from the Impressionist, Post Impressionist era's was huge inspiration for me, and I think had a part to play in me deciding to studying art full time. A lot of my work comes from this time period of painting. This general move then from representation to abstraction.

Best performance?

What comes to mind now, is Troy Parrott's performance against Hungary recently. We were watching it at home, that moment of magic when he scored at the end was such an uplifting experience. The ability of sport to connect with a nation and lift a nation is inspiring. I supose the journey it takes someone to be in the right place at the right time and have the ability to do something transformative is a common drive I think for both artists and athletes. That sense of magic is something we're trying to reach, I remember Jo Allen, a teacher I had years ago saying, magic can turn up in your studio, but you have to be there to capture it.

Most treasured possession?

If a dog can be a possession, I'll say Bella our dog at home. She's brought so much joy and happiness to my life and our family's.

Work(s) of art that inspire you?  

Matisse's Portrait with a Green Stripe was a painting I saw when I was 15 or 16. It made me want to be a painter, realising I could try and have a life as an artist. It made me see the ability of paint to communicate something more than just the physical representation of life. Later on works by Helen Frankenthaler became inspiring for me when in art college. The large scale, the looseness of paint application, the colour field approach to making art. What was inspiring to me as well was the idea of being an artist, a creative person, of living your working life making, that was inspiring. Seeing other painters doing that with their lives and thinking I would try and do that.

A lightbulb moment?

I'd say recently it is the image of light passing through a prism, and then refracting into the colours of the colour spectrum. I've seen this image lots of time in my life, but years ago, it made me realise that light and colour are the same. A lot of the work I do now is trying to capture or create light using colour. I've used geometric shapes in my work, these for me operate like sides of a prism. It also is this link for me between my early interest in science and painting now.

Guilty pleasure?

Anything with sugar

What would you like to be doing right now?

I love Andalusia in Spain, I wouldn't mind being over there, walking now.