Despite the diversity of Thornton Walker’s subject matter and technique, his interest  in the dynamics of perspective and spatial depth remains constant.  Thornton challenges the traditional still life genre by infusing his compositions with Zen notions of emptiness.  Each work therefore adopts Thornton’s signature meditative character, venturing far beyond describing physicality.  In his recent work, Thornton is intrigued by scenes and objects recalled from dreams. These often disparate images are positioned in either close association or isolation against an ambiguous background.  It is this empty, unresolved space created with layers of washes, drips, stains, grids, and collage that gives Thornton’s work such a dreamlike, serene quality.  Demonstrating a masterful and sensitive handling of surfaces, Thornton’s works enchant us with their earthy spirituality.

Thornton Walker studied at the Prahran College of Advanced Education and Victorian College of the Arts.  After graduating in 1977, he spent the next eight years travelling extensively in Europe and the United States and later undertook studio residencies in Spain and Malaysia.  In 2007, Thornton was awarded a Printmaking Fellowship with the Australian Print Workshop in Melbourne.  With over thirty-five solo exhibitions to his name, Thornton's work has been acquired by numerous institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery of WA, Artbank, Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University and Parliament House.