ROB DOUMA

Born in Tasmania, Rob Douma is a self-taught artist that works primarily in acrylics. Douma largely paints dark and brooding surreal and stylised images, however he is equally adept at realist portraits. Currently working in Townsville under the pseudonym ‘Dooms’ - a reference to his surname though equally applicable to his chosen imagery - Douma established the small warehouse studio Tsunami Death Cult in February 2012. Since its establishment, Douma has accepted commissions from as far as Europe and the United States of America.1

In 2014, his varied practice saw him selected as a finalist in the Glencore Percival Portrait Painting Prize - an exhibition in which he received the People’s Choice Award - before also winning the Acrylic Award in the 59th Townsville Art Awards

Douma is himself heavily tattooed, and skulls - synonymous with both tattoo culture and the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos - form an integral part of his visual language. Often the focal point in his large, vibrantly coloured paintings, Douma has also taken to creating ornamental and functional skull replicas. The skull sculptures have been produced both with the intent of being art objects, and as functional items such as candle holders, ash trays, and business card holders, and are finely decorated with anchors, spider webs, crosses, floral designs, script, cherry blossoms and oriental designs, and other symbols in a manner which mimics the tattoo process; etching bone deep below the skin.

It is fair to assert that Douma’s imagery would be labelled ‘kitsch’ within some circles. This, combined with his production of functional objects, is countered by his refined painting ability and the work’s display as a sophisticated installation in a gallery setting. In doing so, the artist cleverly elicits consideration as to the work’s position as either a high or low art object; particularly at a time when the art world is already grappling with tattoo art straddling the two fields.

Douma’s work - an installation of many of his embellished skulls - also investigates the transformation of meaning and adoption of symbols over time, particularly through religious iconography.

The link between Douma’s practice and tattooing extends beyond the imagery chosen, with the process itself reflecting tattooing. Douma sees, “a direct parallel between the process of designing tattoos, and the challenges presented by painting on a three-dimensional surface, such as skulls, as opposed to on two-dimensional surfaces. Tattoo artists need to carefully consider how the end product will appear on the three-dimensional human form and as such compensate for the contours of the body in the design itself. ”

“There’s also a connection in that you can never fully see the design of one of the painted skulls from any one angle. Similarly, you rarely see the full extent of sombody’s tattoos, as you can’t see every angle of the human body at once, or in many cases they are obscured by clothing.” 2

Notes

1 <http://www.tsunamideathcult.com> Accessed 21 October 2014

2 Quote from a conversation with the artist, 7 May 2015

Image:

Ron McBurnie