David Thomas

Born in England, I began my working life training and working in a commercial/industrial photographic studio in Portsmouth on the south coast. I learned how to make machines look good and the challenges involved with photographing cleaning brushes with white nylon bristles in black and white. 8 years later, I re-trained and moved into teaching which proved equally challenging. I remained in the classroom until moving to New Zealand in 1999. While I have always maintained an active interest in photography, I began moving from the 2D image to 3D work over the past 6 years.

I am enjoying the robust nature of working in acrylic and at a much smaller scale than I have previously done. It was the material that suggested this current work – Stop me and buy one. Once thought, it can’t be ‘unthought’, it just leads you in a new direction(s) – hence once you have ice-cream, you simply must have jelly and ice-cream! I have been influenced by the vintage Tiptop advertising and in keeping with the ‘stop me and buy’ one theme. At a time when Kiwis are visiting their own backyard, I would like to present a reminder of that walk to the dairy.