Dr Thomas Penney

Dr Tom Penney is an experienced educator, artist and researcher leading the Bachelor of Design (Games) Program.

He has more than 10 years' experience in the tertiary education sector in the fields of digital design, games, interaction, experience design, cross-reality and contemporary art. He was previously a Lecturer and Industry Fellow in Digital Media at RMIT, introducing industry-focused and work-integrated initiatives to the studio environment.

Tom is an expert in digital studio education and practice-based research committed to integrating industry, practice and scholarship in the studio and beyond. His teaching and design of educational studios has focused on agile skills development in digital fields. This involves technical as well as soft skills, work-integrated-learning and critical theory.

His work has been published in journals, books and conferences including the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools, Media International Australia, The Feminist Journal of Art and Digital Culture, The International Journal of Contemporary Humanities, The Routledge Companion to Digital Ethnography, The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference, and the International Symposium of Electronic Art. 

His artwork has shown in venues that include Westspace Gallery, Utopian Slumps (Slopes Projects), The Newport Substation, The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Federation Square and Laznia Arts Centre.

Tom's contemporary arts practice involved 3D imaging, cross-reality (virtual and augmented reality) games technology and digital design. He was one of the first contemporary artists in Australia to use 3D photogrammetry, laser-scanning and the game engine Unity3D for critical and experimental artistic purposes in post-internet and post-digital contexts.

His PhD research project "Critical Affection" developed an expanded notion of "critical play" and "affection-image" in digital media and games through contemporary art practice. Much of this drew on a series of artworks that critically represented online dating apps.

Tom previously worked in an augmented reality fashion company, as well as teaching art and design at Curtin and Monash Universities.