We are pleased to present What Happens When Nothing Happens, Thomas Cameron's first physical solo exhibition with Taymour Grahne Projects. Thomas Cameron’s paintings document fleeting moments of urban life and offer an insight into his observations of the human condition.

Address: 4 Cromwell Place (Gallery 12), London SW7 2JE

Opening Hours: Wednesday April 10 - Saturday April 13 from 11am to 7pm and Sunday April 14 from 11am to 4pm

Cameron is particularly interested in the notion of isolation and solitude, and the way in which this disposition is enhanced by the populated, yet disconnected, business of city life. This body of work presents Cameron’s partiality for night scenes and the glowing artificial lights that illuminate the city come dusk. Vignettes of everyday urban life are observed and captured with a heightened sense of tension and surveillance, conveying an emotional response to the often-melancholic atmosphere of cities.

Using photography as his starting point, Cameron then uses painting as an opportunity to slow down his observations, turning a fleeting, snapshot moment, into a delicately recounted capsule of time. The considered compositions and thoughtful brushstrokes imbue these everyday scenes with beauty and pathos. The ordinary nature of these moments is elevated by Cameron’s attention to detail, into something more profound, calling attention to the inherent value of day-to-day occurrences which ultimately make up life. The visible, loose brushstrokes create a sense of movement and liveliness within the paintings, whilst also inviting the viewer to consider the hand and time that went into the creation of these works, and therefore remind them of the value of the simple moments captured.

Cameron’s interest in photography started with his own family photo albums, as well as found images he discovered in local charity shops. The unique visual qualities of analogue photography, with its softened distance from the subject and enhanced colour palette, continues to inform Cameron’s painting style. His horizontal compositions are carefully organized with a Hopper-like precision, creating a balance and harmony reminiscent of a cinematic style of photography. This thoughtfulness is again a reminder of the significance with which these moments offer to Cameron, and thus the viewer.

We gain a sense of the surrounding life beyond the confines of the image, the feeling of a bustling street or crowded platform, yet our attention remains with the figures depicted. We become encapsulated by their stillness, and are brought into the universal feeling of being alone, whilst surrounded by others. The voyeuristic nature of Cameron’s paintings creates a sense of separation between the viewer and the figures depicted, suggesting a feeling of loneliness or isolation, as if on the outside looking in. There is an anonymity in his paintings, the identities of the figures captured are obscured. Cameron is not as interested in the individuals themselves, as much as he is in the archetype of solitude that they come to represent. The way in which the viewer's gaze is never met by the subjects depicted, is echoed by the subjects themselves, as seen in 'Early Morning Waiting'. Four figures are seen waiting, together but completely disengaged from each other. There is a palpable feeling of detachment throughout this body of work.

One of the concepts that Cameron continues to examine through his practice is the idea of 'non-places', a term coined by anthropologist Marc Augé, that refers to man-made environments that are non-relational nor concerned with identity, such as shopping malls or airports. Cameron depicts public spaces that often have the effect of anonymising the people who pass through them, those who become consumers, commuters, workers etcetera. His work points towards the ongoing conveyer belt of consumerism, and his compositional choices highlight this. His camera is his sketchbook, and certain visual devices are recurrent: panes of glass separating viewer and subject, strong light and shadows and contrasting colour temperatures. Inspired by Edward Hopper, Cameron utilizes architecture to enhance the isolating atmosphere, characters are framed within windows or mirrors creating a sense of confinement. People appear distracted from their surroundings and isolated from one another as they move through the city. Cameron avoids reference to obvious landmarks, further separating us from the lives of the subjects. The banality of the events depicted is apathetic yet so relatable.

Cameron considers painting as an antidote to the ubiquitous, meaningless, images mass produced throughout modern society. His paintings are particular and intentionally detailed, yet leave the narrative open and ambiguous. By defamiliarizing the familiar, Cameron calls into question what we take for granted as 'normal' and encourages us to look more closely, to question how we live and examine our relationship with the everyday.

Thomas Cameron has an MA in Fine Art from the City and Guilds of London Art School. In 2024, 2023 and 2021, his work was selected for the New Contemporaries show. He previously had solo shows in the New Glasgow Society, The Small Gallery, Taymour Grahne Projects (online) and the Sutton Gallery in Scotland. His work has also been included in numerous group shows in London at venues such as the London Paint Club, Thames-Side Studios and the Nunnery Gallery. He has been featured in Create! Magazine.