John Tonkin

John Tonkin is a Lecturer in Visual Arts at the Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney. He holds an MFA from UNSW. His work focuses on new media art, with a particular interest in the creative possibilities of computation, interactivity, and virtual reality. Tonkin has been a practising artist since 1985 and received the Australia Council's New Media Arts Board Fellowship (1999–2000). His research explores interaction as a means of physical and conceptual play, including participative works shaped by audience engagement and large-scale public art commissions.

Education: Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from UNSW.

Research Interests: Media art, virtual reality, creative computation, and video art. His recent projects extend into virtual reality and investigate visual perception through bodily sensations and dynamic movements.

Publications and Exhibitions: Recent works include On the Edge of an Abyss (ISEA 2024), Vertigo and Emptiness in the Memory Palace (ISEA 2024), and Virtually Together (ACUADS 2022). His 2013 chapter in Ecologies of Invention discusses perceptual apparatus experiments.

Awards: Australia Council's New Media Arts Board Fellowship (1999–2000).

Teaching and Grants: Focuses on VR production using open-source tools. His work often bridges art, technology, and public engagement.