Tom Hackett

Born in Cambridge, Tom Hackett is a sculptor who studied fine art at Middlesex and Nottingham Trent Universities. He is a small artist based in Nottingham who focuses on sculpture and practical art pieces, such as acting out something or wearing something. He profits from these pieces of art and exhibitions. In addition to making art, he also lectures and teaches at Nottingham College to support himself and his family. As someone who has been in his lectures, I find the information that he gives out to be very helpful because it gives us an insight into what life as a small artist can be like; you can make some profit from it, but not enough to go full time. 

Hackett has an established reputation for his multiple sculptural installations, exhibitions, and performative interventions at contemporary art galleries and in the wider public. He makes sculptures across a wide range of media and concepts.

"My work is about several inter-relating strands. None stand alone. Central to much of what I have done is the desire to make connections and collaborations with people, places and situations. I often try to unpick the ‘sense-making’ paradox, which can both limit and drive humanity forward. I am interested in the place of written and spoken language within this quagmire. I regularly use interruption as a tool to question, dissect and reveal the everyday and ordinary, which frequently gets lost in the haze. Humour and absurdity play a part in this, with regular use of dislocated objects, forms and performative actions. For me, art is an affirmative interjection which can bring something of value to the table. It sits somewhere in between an offering, a question and a possibility. It works best for me when it blends the palpable with the intangible and travels beyond the simple distillation of a feeling, an action or a set of ideas. For me, that’s where the alchemy lives, and it is by this force any artwork ultimately stands or falls."

- Tom Hackett.

My favourite piece of art by Hackett is a sculpture set called 'another green world,' I really like this piece because of how realistic it is, yet it isn't. Because the birds aren't real, the branch placements make them seem authentic and real, just like a real tree. I can take inspiration from this piece to incorporate elements into mine with how natural it looks, and I want my art to look natural too.

It is an installation of sculptural birds, "I aimed to create a sense of dynamic visual movement punctuating the sightline and interrupting the institutional nature of the space. This is intended to generate a playful shift in the day-to-day experience of those passing through the area and foster a sense of calm contemplation. Thematically, it brings notions of nature and the wider environment to the fore. The wall-based birdhouse plays intermittent bursts of birdsong. The combined visual effect is to bring the outside in. Overall, this artwork can be seen as a gentle nudge towards re-connecting the disconnect between us as humans and the natural world upon which we depend. Signalling a simple truth, we and the birds are very much part of the same world. Looking forward, the project hopes to have a wider creative legacy, as a catalyst and departure point for future student activity.

As a project, it is underpinned by an artistic commitment to having a low environmental footprint by using low-impact and re-used materials, which, if needed, can be recycled or disposed of without polluting the environment. The white earthenware clay is locally sourced in the Midlands (where many former clay pits have become wildlife sites). Two-thirds of the square aluminium bar used to create the curved linear forms are re-purposed from a prior installation exhibited at The Brewhouse in Burton. The aluminium suspension poles are recyclable (the global rate for aluminium recycling stands at 76%). With the world in climate and ecological crisis it is crucial that artists and designers work towards minimizing our impact and embrace sustainability through process, material choices and product longevity. As transmitters of meaning we can all raise the environmental agenda through art, communication and demonstrating good practice."