Tim Humphries is an artist, printmaker and photographer) based in Tulla, east Co. Clare. He has a Master of Fine Art Degree from the Limerick School of Art & Design in 2000. He specialised in printmaking, which he also studied to undergraduate level to 1994.
His work is primarily concerned with his interests in Astronomy and his experiences of travelling in both his printmaking works and photography. They differ somewhat in that in his prints he depicts himself in the content as his alter-ego “the Spaceman”, who could be regarded as the ultimate traveller. The audience of his prints sees exactly what the Spaceman sees, but reflected in the surface of his visor. In Tim’s large format works he brings the manipulation of a surface, from his Printmaking background, to the surfaces of the buildings he projects on, or the venues he dances with light. Each event changes the outward perception of the venue, and is captured in Tim’s photographic and video documentation of them.
He has had solo exhibitions including ‘RAW’, CB 1 Gallery, Limerick (2014); ‘The Spaceman Cometh’, Crow Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin (2005); and ‘Nice Pictures’, Moulin Gallery, Limerick (2002). He has participated in ‘Lights Up for the Arts’ (Ireland and UK, artistic response to COVID-19, 2020); Claremorris Open (selected by Iwona Blaswick, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 2002); and EV+A, Limerick (site-specific light installation, Revenue building, Limerick, 1998).
He has worked on projects/programmes including 2020 and 2017 Culture Night with light installations in his home village of Tulla (2020); a site specific sculptural work initially installed in woodlands outside Tulla (2020); and Ennis Street festival Wallcandy (2010).
Tim took part in the ERASMUS student exchange programme to study in Spain as an undergraduate in LSAD. He received the Open Award at EV+A in 1998, and was granted a 2003 Artist in Residence at the Holter Museum, Montana, USA. He also received the 2012 Clare co Co, Arts Bursary to Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co Monaghan. In addition he was shortlisted for the following awards: 1997 Victor Treacy Award; 1999 Falmouth Print Biennale; 2002 Breaking Ground, Ballymun, Dublin.
His work has been purchased by the Office of An Taoiseach (2004); Limerick City Gallery Of Art (permanent collection); OPW, Ireland; and he has donated works while on residency at: Tyrone Guthrie Centre; Holter Museum of Art; and University of Natal, South Africa. His work has been commissioned by The Hunt Museum, in the 2003 a specially commissioned boxset of Prints, ‘Bridging the Gap’.
