Jon Thomson

Jon Thomson is an Associate Professor (Reader) in Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, where he works with MA/MFA and PhD students. He is a visual artist specializing in digital and new media art, collaborating with Alison Craighead since 1993 under the name Thomson & Craighead. Their work explores how internet and communications networks transform our understanding of the world, examining the relationship between physical and digital space and how the internet alters our socio-political understanding of reality.

Thomson studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. In 1995, he co-founded The Slade Centre for Electronic Media in Fine Art (SCEMFA), bringing together artist-researchers working digitally on the cutting edge of contemporary art practice. He has maintained this research focus while developing his collaborative practice with Craighead.

Thomson's research examines how the development of the internet has transformed perception of the world, particularly how our constant ability to be physically somewhere but virtually anywhere affects our understanding. His work considers the tension between global and local perspectives, and how modern communications inform our sense of place and self. Recent projects increasingly examine the impact of Big Data on society and how individuals can measure their experience against unfathomably large bodies of information and inhuman timescales.

Thomson & Craighead's extensive exhibition history shows a consistent exploration of networked communication, with works spanning from early internet-based projects to contemporary explorations of genomic data and nuclear culture. Their practice demonstrates an evolution from examining basic internet infrastructure to addressing complex issues of data sovereignty, deep time, and the societal impacts of pervasive networked technologies.

Thomson's research has been supported by significant funding including:

• AHRC small grant in the creative and performing arts (2007)
• Wellcome Trust Arts Award (£38,000) for Stutterer (2014)
• Collaborations with Channel 4 Television, Animate Projects, New Media Scotland, and Creative Scotland for Flat Earth Trilogy

Thomson advises MA/MFA and PhD students at the Slade School of Fine Art. His collaborative practice has resulted in numerous exhibitions worldwide and three published monographs. They have developed innovative approaches to using live data streams, social media content, and scientific information as artistic materials, creating works that challenge conventional boundaries between art, technology, and science.

Thomson co-founded SCEMFA, which remains a significant research center bringing together artist-researchers working at the intersection of digital technology and fine art. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations, such as with computational biologists at the University of Dundee and participation in the Nuclear Culture research project with Arts Catalyst London.