Tom Bass AM, DVisArts, public sculptor and teacher, was born in Lithgow, NSW, in 1916. His parents both grew up in rural NSW, his father the son of a baker, and his mother a descendant of early Australian gentry. At the time of Tom’s birth, his father, also a baker by trade, was contributing to the war effort working in an arms factory in Lithgow. In 1919, at age three, Tom moved with his family to the outskirts of Griffith, where his father worked as a baker for the construction workers of the post-war irrigation scheme. From 1920-26 the family relocated several times, moving between work in Erskineville and the rural towns of Parkes and Gundagai, before eventually settling in the working class Sydney suburb of Marrickville in 1927.

During the depression, in 1931 Bass left school to work; he was fifteen years old. Jobs were scarce, however, forcing him to travel the countryside, often on foot, seeking employment. At twenty-two he returned to Sydney, having decided to pursue his desire to study art. He posed as a life model at several art institutions, eventually commencing his art studies at Dattilo Rubbo’s atelier. From 1937-40 Bass learnt drawing skills and basic art principles under Dattilo Rubbo’s guidance, and in 1937 met his first wife, fellow student, Lenore Rays. In 1940, a year after World War II commenced, he was conscripted and sent to duties in Bathurst, then Sydney. Bass and Lenore Rays married during the war and moved to Minto, where they continued to live until 1975.

Following his discharge from National Service, Bass attended The National Art School in Sydney under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme from 1946-48. During this time he was taught by the Head of the Sculpture School, Lyndon Dadswell. In his final year of art school, he received his first commission from a family of Queensland graziers, seeking a sculptural piece for their country property in Sutton Forest, NSW. After much deliberation over a theme of relevance to the lives of the rural family, Bass created a sandstone fireplace depicting a drover on his horse, titled Jack Earth.

After graduating, Bass worked as an assistant to his previous teacher, Dadswell, from 1949-50, whilst trying to explore and define what type of sculptor he wished to be. Creating sculpture for exhibition in galleries was not his ambition; instead his interest lay in the function of sculpture in society, and how it could be used to represent people and communities (Bass & Harris 1996). It was during this time that Bass developed his philosophy of working with totemic forms and emblems to create works of significance to the people that they serve. To Bass, the totem was defined as 'an object that is so imbued with the meanings and the values of the people for whom it is made, that they can stand around it (the object) and connect with those things without a word being uttered…that to me is a totem, and that is the thing that has really inspired my work’ (Bass 2006).

In 1951 Bass became a member of the newly founded Sculptors’ Society, and during the early 1950s he received media exposure through the Society’s growing public profile (Carson 2006). Bass’s work was featured in many group exhibitions with The Sculptors Society, including its first outdoor exhibition in the Botanic Gardens in 1951. Bass remained a member of The Sculptors Society until 1964, occupying the executive positions of president, treasurer and secretary during this period.

From the early 1950s, Bass’ commitment to representing communities saw him become a sculptor of public art, with commissions from schools, universities, religious institutions, and government and corporate organisations. During a time when public monuments were being replaced by public art, Bass became a highly sought after sculptor of commissioned works. Significant public commissions, including The Student (1953) for the University of Sydney, The Falconer (1953-55) for the University of NSW, and The Trial of Socrates (1954-56) and The Idea of a University (1954-59) – both for the University of Melbourne – are evidence of the support for Bass by the tertiary sector. In 1953, Bass was chosen to represent Australia at the prestigious 'Unknown Political Prisoner International Sculpture Competition’ at the Tate Gallery in London, which led to further professional acknowledgement (Carson 2006). Corporate commissions Research and Herald Sculpture (1956-59) followed, along with religious works External Crucifix, Reredos Crucifix and St Paul the Sailmaker (1955-56) for St Augustine’s Church, Yass.

During the 1960s, Bass produced numerous prominent and highly publicised civic works. The P&O Wall Fountain (1962-63) was controversially featured on the cover of Oz Magazine, the Lintel Sculpture (1967-68) formed the entrance to the National Library of Australia, and Ethos (1959-61) became Canberra’s first piece of public art work (Cloughley 2006), representing the spirit of the community of the national capital. Unlike many artists of the time, Bass chose to work independently of the commercial gallery realm, personally managing his own commissions and projects. As a public sculptor in a period of cultural and societal change in Australia, Bass was a key advocate for the inclusion of sculpture in public spaces. Significant religious commissions were developed during the period, including Our Lady Archetype of the Church (1959-62) for Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Hobart, and the Crucifix (1965-66) for the Chapel at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. Additionally, Bass’s work became internationally recognised through Sculptured Emblem (1968-1969) on the Australian Chancery Building in Washington DC, USA.

It was in the 1960s that Bass undertook two study trips abroad, the first to Europe, in 1962, and to the USA in 1969, coinciding with the Washington DC commission. On this latter trip he met Australian expatriate sculptor, Clement Meadmore, and was inspired by the work of David Smith. According to Hoekstra, his “experiences in America helped him to see that he needed to explore his inner world… in sculpture… in the relationships with those near to him and with himself”(pers. comm.).

In 1980 Bass held his first solo exhibition at the David Jones Art Gallery, resulting in mixed reviews. Whilst teaching at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School, he completed several commissions including The Arts and the Sciences (1984) for the Great Hall at the University of Sydney, and Christopher Robin (1989) for the Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital. Bass and Lenore had separated in 1975 (and divorced in 1981), and in the early 1980s, Bass met and married his second wife, Margo Hoekstra.

As a public artist, the development of Bass’s career has been well documented by the media. Beginning with articles portraying Bass as an ex-serviceman turned artist in the early 1940s, the literature following his career is extensive. He has received both criticism and praise from the media, yet his choice to work outside the gallery realm saw him receive little attention from the arts community (Bass 2006). Since the 1950s, radio interviews, documentaries and television features have provided the public with first hand glimpses into Bass’s life and career. He has been featured in books such as The Development of Australian Sculpture: 1788-1975 (Sturgeon 1978), Australian Sculptors (Scarlett 1980) and The New McCulloch’s Encyclopaedia of Australian Art (McCulloch 2006). In 1996 he co-authored his biography titled Tom Bass-Totem Maker, and in 2006 a book accompanying his retrospective exhibition was released.

In recognition of his services to sculpture, Bass was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1989. This lead to a resurgence of media interest and public recognition of his contribution to Australian sculpture. Following a career that had spanned sixty years, and to mark his ninetieth birthday, in 2006 the 'Tom Bass Retrospective’ was held at the Sydney Opera House. In 2009 Bass was awarded the degree of Doctor of Visual Arts (honoris causa) by the University of Sydney, in recognition of his excellence as a sculptor and teacher.

Thomas Dwyer Bass died on 26 February 2010 and is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery at North Ryde.

Writers:

De Lorenzo, Catherine Note:
Long, Sarah Note:

Date written:

2009

Last updated:

2011

Status:

peer-reviewed