Tom Burtonwood

Tom Burtonwood (b. United Kingdom) is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist, curator, and educator. He/they are Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He/they hold an MFA from Southern Illinois University (USA) and a BA from Loughborough College of Art (UK). Burtonwood is a member of the international art collective videokaffe, and a board member/co-organizer of Terrain Exhibitions, an Oak Park-based not-for-profit arts organization. Terrain makes private space public through sculpture, installation, performance, and interventions. Apart from Terrain, he/they have curated over 20 exhibitions of contemporary art working with Chicago-based, artist-run galleries GARDENfresh (2002–2009) and What It Is (2010–2015). In his "spare time" Burtonwood likes to DJ making soundscapes from an eclectic mix of musical genres and audio sources. 

Like the critical theorist Deleuze, Burtonwood maintains a Baroque sensibility, a fascination with complexity, multiplicity, and the infinite play of forms. Deleuze’s description of the Baroque fold as a "fold within a fold" resonates with his layered sculptures and intricate drawings. These works reveal their complexity through a series of folds, each layer adding depth and richness to the overall structure. This complexity invites viewers to engage with the artwork on multiple levels, uncovering new layers of meaning with each interaction.

Burtonwood's work further intersects with Deleuze’s philosophical ideas through its emphasis on movement, pattern, repetition, and cognition. His unfolding sculptures and drawings are dynamic processes that embody continuous variation and complexity. Through their intricate patterns and transformative movements, they invite viewers to explore the fluid boundaries of space and time, engaging in a cognitive journey that mirrors the philosophical exploration of the fold.

Vimeo:

Double Dutch (New Buffalo)

Double Dutch

Double Dutch (White Cube)