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Dr Thomas Dwyer Bass AM Doctor of Visual Arts (honoris causa), Australia’s most prolific public sculptor, died in Sydney on Friday 25 February 2010 aged 93.
Tom Bass’s life was devoted to creating public sculpture in Australia and to passing on his vast knowledge about making sculpture to the many students of the Tom Bass Studio School.
Tom was born at Lithgow, NSW, in 1916.
From his first commissioned work (Jack Earth - sandstone - at Comfort Hill, Sutton Forest, NSW) in 1948 till his last large works in 2004-5 (Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie at Campbelltown, The Baker at Narromine and St Augustine at Yass, Tom’s creative life was extraordinarily productive. Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra have major civic Tom Bass works, universities have works celebrating education and research, commercial buildings have their own iconic pieces and large religious works adorn many cathedrals, churches and colleges in Australia.
From the mid 50’s to the mid 70’s, Tom Bass achieved more than 20 major works including many works of the scale of magnificent Winged Ethos in Civic Square, Canberra and the 70 foot long Lintel Sculpture at the National Library in Canberra. Sydney is very familiar with the P&O Wall Fountain in Hunter Street and Melbourne with the Children's Tree in Elizabeth Street. Many more works, including the St Vincent de Paul logo of the hands of offering, acceptance and blessing, emerged from this extraordinarily creative imagination.
 Tom Bass’s philosophy as a sculptor revolved around making totemic forms and emblems to express ideas of significance to particular communities or to the wider society.
Tom Bass also found time to work on many pieces which reflected his own personal and spiritual development.
Tom founded the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School in 1974 school was to teach the fundamental principles of sculpture in a workshop tradition
In 1989, Tom Bass was made a member of the Order of Australia for his services to sculpture. In 2006, his first major retrospective Tom Bass Retrospective - Sydney Celebrates the Sculpture of Bass was staged at the Sydney Opera House. In 2009, Tom Bass was honoured by the University of Sydney with the degree of Doctor of
Visual Arts (honoris causa).
The loss of Tom is deeply felt by his family, his current students and alumni and the many people who experienced his wisdom and integrity (as well as his strong ‘sculptor’s’ handshake).
February 2010
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