Tom Palmer

Since I first promoted his emergence to a discerning clientele of private clients and designers, Tom has developed a diverse offer and his time is variously spent realising custom orders and projects in development. Given the variety of his output, the key to understanding Palmer is in his willingness to experiment without fear of failure. This gives him the freedom not just to pursue a vision but to take it to a new place. In fact the willingness to work and marry materials beyond known boundaries, to adapt or develop new techniques in order to do so, and blend these with a unique creative vision are the essential ingredients of his metier.

Each piece has a mysterious quality that belies its functionality. His recent Lith tables have the appearance of rock crystal, or perhaps ice, and like all his designs, they read first as intriguing artwork, belying their function. What appears to be a giant iris of an eye mounted on a wall morphs into a deep pool of reflective blue depending on the viewpoint of its convex form.

Testament to his approach are the extent of experimental workings amassed in corners of his studio. This Aladdin’s cave contains evidence of days spent mastering water-silvering, or attempts to work out the optimum techniques to achieve optical effects with lenses and resins. There is an irresistible quality to every raw material or iteration of an idea in his studio, each representing a point on a journey that ultimate culminates in an extraordinary work of art .

A brief overview of some recent pieces gives an insight into Tom’s astonishing range. As well as working on his own pieces, Tom develops and creates specific elements for many projects on a more architectural scale for both private and industry clients.