Arts
born and educated in adelaide, sydney-based artist john tonkin began making experimental film and video in the early 1980s. in 1985 he started working with computer animation, and now creates works of digital art using his own custom software. tonkin's animations include air, water parts1, 2 &3 (1993ñ95), a series of lyrical and poetic studies of the elements air and water, and these are the days (1994) a meditation on the passing of time. in these animations tonkin used mathematical modelling to create abstracted simulations of natural systems. meniscus (1995ñ2000) is a series of three web/installation works ñ elective physiognomies, elastic masculinities and personal eugenics ñ that explore ideas relating to scientific belief systems, subjectivity and identity. recent works involve building frameworks/tools/toys in which the work of art is formed through the accumulated interactions of its users as well as a number of projects that use real-time 3d animation, visualisation and data-mapping technologies. these include strange weather, a visualisation tool for making sense of life, and time and motion study. tonkin currently lectures within the digital cultures program, at the university of sydney.