Thomas Griffiths is an artist currently studying an MFA Fine Art degree, at Manchester School of Art. Thomas Griffiths’ practice is influenced by public and hidden spaces. Through playful use of materiality and symbolism, the work aims to infiltrate and divert attention towards the overlooked, highlighting nuances of working-class culture and queer identity. Sensual-yet-gauche representations combine with tongue-in-cheek humour to convey these narratives.
They primarily use low cost and recycled materials, utilising woodworking, metalworking, casting and digital software to realise works. Current works investigate industrial objects within the public domain. With interest in the relationship between identity and space, identifiable objects and symbols are often reimagined and recontextualised, giving a new interpretation (often coded) in relation to the queer lens.
Standing in your way, 2023 (series 1/4). Each piece takes on a persona, an anthropomorphic entity of a barrier foot. The artwork derives from pre-existing barriers. Captivated by the heeled shoe-like quality found in public industrial spaces, this became central to the piece, with focus on contradiction and play. By altering the material, the objects become fragile and redundant, yet become both present and obstructive within a space.
