Paul Thomas

 

6 Hunter Street

North Perth

Perth, W.A.  6006

Home Phone (08) 9444 8405

Email:p.thomas@curtin.edu.au

 

 

 


OBJECTIVE: I have been working towards developing sustainable research in the areas of convergence between arts, science and industry in Western Australia. Some of these objectives I have managed to secure through the instigation of an academic Studio of Electronic Arts program and the Master of Electronic Arts at Curtin University of Technology. To facilitate a critcal underpinning strategic in the development of convergence within the arts I instigated and was the founding director of the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth (BEAP).

 

ACTIVE RESEARCH AND RESEARCH INTERESTS:

 

Project leader of a ALTC grant to create a national online database of the Media/electronic art Scoping Study to create an overview of the current and pioneering educators, artists and scientists who have brought about the dissolution of boundaries that have traditionally existed between the artistic and technological disciplines.

Co-Chair of the Third international Media Art History conference Re:live Melbourne 09

Curtin Mineral and Chemistry Research Precinct Public art project. The art project will be integrated into the two new buildings that will form the Mineral and Chemistry Research and Education Precinct. Paul Thomas, Mike Philips and Christopher Malcolm have been commissioned to develop the public art work in collaboration with Woods Bagot Architects.

Practice led research with the Nano Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology and SymbioticA at the University of Western Australia. Researching the transition phase between skin and gold.

Online research development through masters online course work,

 

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS

2005                           PhD University of Western Australia.

1996                           MA (Hons), University of Western Sydney.

1976-77                     Art Teachers Certificate (ATC), Postgraduate Teaching. qualification, University of London, Goldsmiths' College.

1973-76                     B.A. (Hons), Camberwell School of Art, London.

 

Publication including conference papers and journal articles and exhibitions.

 

á      Sk-interfaces:  Exploring Borders in Art, Technology and Society exhibition, Midas project, FACT Liverpool 29 March 2008

á      Sk-interfaces Stiched Up - The Future Of The Body. Panel presentation Boundaryless Body, FACT Liverpool 29 March 2008

á      Nanotechnology & Spatial Boundaries: The Midas Project Tesla Art and Science Research Interest Group, Convener Department of Computer Science, University College London 18  March 2008

á      Re:place Media Art Histories conference Paper titled Constructed infinite smallness, Berlin 15-18 Nov 2007

á      MutaMorphosis: Challenging Arts and Sciences international conference. Paper titled Boundaryless nanomorphologies, Prague 8-12 Nov 2007

á      Unsafe Distance exhibition Midas project Enter3 Prague 2007.

á      The Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) Conference Innovation, Leadership Impact: Research in Art Design and New Media paper titled Contemplating Intelligent Architecture:  i-500 Intelligent Architecture Project, 27th – 29th September. Sydney 2007

á      Computers in Art and Design Education conference paper titled Immateriality and Materiality 12th – 14th  September Perth

á      Artistic directorÕs statement Stillness Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth Catalogue 2007.

á      ÔAudionanoÕ presented at The Totally Huge New Music Festival Conference 27th – 29th April 2007  Perth.

á      The Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) Conference artists, designers and creative communities paper titled Immateriality materiality 27th – 29th September. Melbourne 2006

á      Consciousness Reframed: art & consciousness in the post-biological era Paper titled Contemplating contemporary architecture, 21-23 July 2006 UK

á      Curated BEAPworks at the John Curtin Gallery July to September 2006.

á      The Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) Conference artists, designers and creative communities paper titled BEAP and a granular learning environment 28th – 30th September. Perth

á      Vital Signs Conference paper titled Creating change 8th – 9th September 2005, Melbourne.

á      Altered States conference  Altered States: transformations of perception, place, and performance - 22 - 24 July 2005 paper titled The mirror as the primal space for new media. UK.

á      Curating BEAPworks as part of the Festival of Perth at the John Curtin Gallery Feb to June 2005.

á      Creative Connections Symposium @ BEAP2004 Creative Connections: advancing research in diverse languages September 4, 2004 paper titled Back to a networked future.

á      DirectorÕs statement Samedifference Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth Catalogue 2004.

á      Book Chapter Innovation in Australian Arts – Part I: Disciplines in Transition, Network building in the digital age.

á      Ciberarts Bilbao 2004 conference Challenges for a Ubiquitous Identity 23rd to 30th April paper titled Reconfiguring space.

á      The Space Between Conference at Curtin University of Technology. 14th – 17th April, paper was titled The convergent space -  back to a wearable perception.

á      The space between Exhibition ÔResidual BodyÕ at the John Curtin Gallery 14 April – 13 June 2004.

á      Exhibition of Ambiantspace work as part of John Curtin Gallery May 2003 Outside Tokyo (ideas about space & time) 2 May - 29 June 2003 Exhibition of 2hour DVD on three large screens of practical work for PhD.

á      Presented ÔAmbiantspaceÕ at New Forms Festival 2003 Vancouver.

á      Edited the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth Catalogue 2002.

á      DirectorÕs statement Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth Catalogue 2002.

á      Chaired sessions at the Consciousness Reframed Conference, Perth 2002.

á      Chaired session at the National Innovations and ACUADS conference Teaching in a Digital Domain.

á      Presented at the CAiiA-STAR symposium as part of the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth.

á      Presentation of a paper on ÔSpatial InterfaceÕ at the Spatial Cultures conference, Newcastle University in 2001. I also attended the Tactical Interventions, Dislocation and Convergence forums.

á      'All Roads lead to Macdonalds' paper, Universal Design Conference, Perth1999.

á      ÔReconsideration of SpaceÕ paper, Computer Art Design and Education Conference (CADE99), Middlesborugh UK.

á      ÔSpatial EmergenceÕ Western Australian School of Art and Design.

á      'UNIQUE STATE' Fremantle Lecture, Fremantle Arts Foundation, 1990.

 

 

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT

2007 Coordinator of Master of Electronic Art and the Studio for Electronic Arts in the Faculty of Built Environment Art and Design, Curtin University of Technology.

 

á      Co chair for the Media Art History conference re:live, Melbourne 2009.

á      Appointed on the International board of the Media Art Histories.

á      Australian representative for the Leonardo Education forum.

á      Elected board member of Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth

á      Program committee Media Art History re:place conference Berlin

á      Instigated the Immaterial and material visualisation Symposium, Department of Art Curtin University.

á       Program committee member for Computer Art and Design and Education, Perth

 

2000-2005 Director of the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth, John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University of Technology.

 

á      I-dat Board Director, Plymouth University.

á      Established the Centre for Living and Electronic Arts Research (CLEAR) at the Innovation Centre Technology Precinct

á      Curated BEAPworks exhibition at the John Curtin Gallery.

á      Director of the largest Electronic arts event in the southern hemisphere.

á      Instigated and developed the concept of BEAP 07.

á      Develop supporting strategies of the digital city.

á      Developed thematic structures for BEAP.

á      Created a board structure.

á      Developing business and strategic plan.

á      BEAP has a staff of four not including my self, 1 Full time, 3 part time, various consultants and 5 Curators

.

 

2004 Promoted to Senior Lecturer Coordinator of Studio for Electronic Arts Faculty of Built Environment Art and Design, Curtin University of Technology

 

á      Executives Deans Award.

á      Curriculum development and implementation of the Masters of Electronic Art for 2006

á      Created and developed the Studio for Electronic Arts.

á      I have developed a high end professional computer facility with Media lab.

á      I am responsible for directing the technical support and development of the lab.

á      Designed the best use of the facility to meet student research demands.

 

PREVIOUS PROFFESIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

2004               Promoted to Senior Lecturer in the Department of Art Curtin University.

2002               Appointed Full time Lecturer as. Coordinator of Studio for Electronic Faculty of Built Environment Art and Design, Curtin University of Technology.

2001               Founder and Director of Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth

2000               Appointed .5 Lecturer in Electronic Arts

1998               Appointed Acting Program Manager of Fine Art, Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

Commenced PhD at the University of Western Australia

Participated in the Australian Network for Art and Technology summer school, at D.A.S in the Film and Television Institute, Fremantle.

Established the Fine Arts Creative Technology Studio at the Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

1997

Instigation and curriculum development of New Media studies units Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

1996

Instigator and founder member of Terminus=, Perth, W.A.

1992

Produced and designed various publications and catalogues for PICA Press Perth, WA.

Appointed Fine Art exam co-ordinator for TAFE in W.A.

1990

Appointed to advanced skills Lecturer position at Western Australian School of Art and Design.

Editor and co-designer of Praxis M, WA's contemporary art magazine.

1989

Created and developed curriculum for the implementation of Interdisciplinary Studies course at the Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

1988

Appointed Study Area Leader for Foundation Studies, Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

1986

Created and developed curriculum for the implementation of Foundation Studies course at the Western Australian School of Art, Design and Media.

 

OFFICIAL POSITIONS

 

á      President of Media-Space Perth Inc.

á      I-dat Board Director.

á      Program committee Media Art History re:place conference.

á      Advisory board Media Art History archive.

á      Co-Chair of the Media Art History re:place conference

 

 

 

GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIP AWARDED

2008 Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant for project leader of Media/electronic art scoping study $100,000.00

2008 Office of Research and Development sponsorship of Media Art History conference $5000

2007 ArtFlight grant ArtsWA $1825.00

2005 Curtin Mineral and Chemistry Research Precinct Public art project $230,000.00

2004 I have raised over $300,000.00 for this Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth 04.

2003 ArtFlight grant ArtsWA.

2002 I raised over $150,000.00 for the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth 2002.

2000 Research and development grant Perth Institute of Contemporary arts.

2000 New Work grant from the Australia Council, Visual Arts and Crafts board to produce and develop my latest online/installation work.

Research and development grant Perth Institute of Contemporary arts.

1997 Awarded Australia Council New Media Arts grant in partnership with Imago Multimedia Centre.

 

 

 

1981 - 2001 EXHIBITIONS

 

 

2001               Presented Archi_Space a major new online work with streaming audio http://www.visiblespace.com.

2000  

Launched Visiblespace.com a permanent website featuring current research projects and archived projects.

1999

Curated, instigated and participated in 'Screen_Image', Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Sunshine Coast University, QLD.

1998

Exhibited CD-ROM 'Spatial Emergence/Transphysical City', Australian Centre for ontemporary Art, Melbourne.

Exhibited CD-ROM 'Spatial Emergence/Transphysical City', Institute of Modern Art, National Digital Art Award, Brisbane.

Exhibited CD-ROM 'Spatial Emergence/Transphysical City', Artspace, Sydney.

Exhibited CD-ROM ' Poetics of Thresholds' Art Gallery of Western Australia

1997

Creator of Thresholds website http://wasadm.central.wa.edu.au/facts/prt/poetics

Exhibited CD-Rom 'The Poetics of Thresholds' Experimenta E~Media gallery. Melbourne.

Creator of Terminus= website http://www.imago.com.au/terminus=.

1996

Participated 'Situations Vacant' (Media-Space) retrospective view of art spaces, Verge gallery, Perth.

1995

Participated in 'Pixels' electronic art exhibition, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. (As part of the Artrage Festival).

'Poetics of Thresholds' solo exhibition, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Participated in a group exhibition 'Missing' Goddard De-Fibbes. Gallery Installation of Media-Space work.

1994

'Thresholds', solo-exhibition, YZ Gallery, University of Western Sydney.

1993

Solo exhibition of paintings at the old Praxis Gallery, Fremantle, WA.

1991

'Visual Thinking', solo retrospective exhibition of photo- documentary work, spanning 1977 - 1990. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Participated in a group exhibition at the Pittsburgh Centre for the Arts (audio component), Pittsburgh.

1990

'Dis-appearance', a fax project around Australia, exhibited at 200 Gertrude Street, Melbourne and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

1988

Solo exhibition of drawings at the Bridge Gallery, Perth.

Performance 'Interpretation' as part of ARX artist exchange, Fremantle.

'I Send You One'. project, 8 images created on computer and networked internationally. The results were printed in Praxis M#16.

1987

Photo-document 10 images created on a 3.5 disc for a Macintosh computer disc sent out as a catalogue.

'See It Be It ' Installation television drawings at Praxis, Fremantle.

Participated in the audio section of ANZART, New Zealand

Performance of 'Sound Drawings' Praxis, Fremantle.

Participated in the Venice Biennale as part of the Art and Science global link up via ARTEX global computer link up.

1985

'Print as Object' exhibition in Melbourne.

1984

Performance of audio works in the Media-Space Experimental Soundworks, Festival of Perth.

Media-Space group installation 'Mediation', Darklight Gallery, Praxis, Fremantle, WA.

Media-Space group installation 'Mediation', IMA, Brisbane, QLD.

Performance of Audio Works at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.

Group exhibition 'Twenty Six Characters' in Artist Week, as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Also presented the performance 'A Realist View'.

Performance of audio works 'Art in the Museum', Festival of Perth, WA Museum.

Performance of 'A Realist View' at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Media-Space group exhibition 'REDLINE', installation work part of the Festival of Perth, the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Participants for Australia at Zona, Florence, Italy.

1983

Group exhibition Audio Works, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden.

Participation by invitation with Media-Space at ANZART in Hobart, TAS.

Participated Sound Poetry and the Open Sandwich ANZART in Hobart, TAS.

Produced radio program 'ACOUSTA-NOVA' for national ABC radio.

1982

Participated with Media-Space in F-1, invitational exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand.

Performance of 'Slow Sticks' at Praxis Gallery, Fremantle, WA.

Participated with Media-Space in travelling documents exhibition at One Flat, Brisbane and A Space, Sydney.

1981

Founder member of Media-Space, alternative art space in Perth, WA.