Tom Bass
Sculptor (Erskenville, NSW)

Tom Bass was born in 1916 and after various jobs during the depression and army service during WWII, began his career as a sculptor after graduating from the National Art School in 1948.

Tom was greatly influenced by what he had learned from Datillo Rubbo whose art school he attended in 1937-40 and he also benefited from being taught by Lyndon Dadswell. He was Dadswell’s assistant in 1949-50. He taught at the National Art School between 1950 and 1953. From 1951 to 1964 he occupied various executive positions with the Sculptor’s Society of which he was a founding member.

Tom Bass’ work as a sculptor has been concerned with communities: schools, universities and government, corporate and religious institutions.

In the late forties he developed his philosophy of working as a sculptor as being the maker of totemic forms and emblems, that is, work expressing ideas of particular significance to communities or to society at large.

In 1974 he founded his school on Broadway, which was relocated to Erskineville in 1998. His aim at the school was to teach the ideas and fundamental principles of sculpture in a workshop tradition. Over thirty years many people have passed through the school, which has become a unique institution in the world, and his teaching achieved Mastery level many years ago. He has continued to review his ways of being a sculptor in an era of radical change in modes of social communication and which require different forms of expression. Whilst Bass has continued to produce works of sculpture the main focus of the last 30 years has been the communication via teaching which he continues to do to this day.

In 1989 Tom Bass was made a member of the Order of Australia for his services to Sculpture.

In 1996 he published “Tom Bass- Totem Maker” co-authored with Harris Smart (Australian Scholarly Publishing). In 1998 he published “Occassional Prayers”. He is working on a book “Ways to make Sculpture” with Michael Christie.

In March 2003 he handed over the school to a Management Committee as the Institution of the school became Incorporated. This took the burden of management of his shoulders in his 88th year.

Tom Bass continues to be an iconic presence and viable teacher at the school and he continues to make sculpture which has significance and meaning for communities.

Contact Tom Bass
Visit Tom Bass Sculpture School website