Thomas Collins is an emerging artist born in Edmonton, Alberta. He completed his studies of electronics at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary [2011], and his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at Lakehead University [2017]. Here he began his formal study of fine art. His work includes photography, digital media, painting and drawing, with a current focus on machines and kinetic new media. His art considers humanity’s imprint on the natural world, intention, and continuance. Tom’s works have been shown in the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, artist-run centers in Ontario, and privately purchased.
I use recycled and scavenged electronics as the muscles and nerves of my machines to show that aspects of them are still useful. Anything divisible into parts can be reused or repaired, but so much technology is discarded because it isn’t the latest, even though its still useful. This pattern of purchasing and discarding is leaving an indelible mark on our planet in contrast to the lines formed by nature.
In my work I explore both extreme consumption and extreme absence, with pressure on the viewer to choose consumption. I do this to mimic the pattern of man-made versus natural mark making. I give the viewer the opportunity to find a balance between the extremes, to illustrate how the imprints can be diminished, enhanced, or reclaimed – like ancient fire pits or roads, allowing the marks to build on one another and the past to continue forward.