Painting a Sense of Place

acrylic/canvas(30"x40") acrylic/canvas (30"x40")

acrylic/canvas (40" x 30")

My investigations of place have recently intersected with interest in notions that many realities co-exist simultaneously; both abstract and concrete. Realities of circular instead of linear time, the possibility of actually locating dark matter

(http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/dark_matter.html)

and the discovery of chaos theories (http://www.around.com/chaos.html)

have informed my practice.

I am working from a variety of sources to develop a space which is the locus of all the opposites we experience as daily life; flat and deep, linear and circular, reality and fantasy. When I construct an image I am using both photographic resources as well as gestural mark making techniques. I have used Photoshop to alter and simplify photos which are then combined with a hand drawn line and transferred to the canvas. I am experimenting with color to both justify as well as decry accepted color theories, which seem to have their desired effects only within groups schooled in such color theory. These images begin with photographs of urban architecture. I often refer to art historical imagery incorporating figure or place.

Summer Residency 2010 VSC

Barbara White Studios Building

The Red Mill - Campus Center: dinning room, residents' lounge, galleries, admin. offices

July 2010 at VSC (Vermont Studio Center)
http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/

What a productive summer! Full of awesome surprises, rich experiences and gifted individuals, it was a July that will go on in my own personal history as an “ah ha” moment! Eureka! With the support of time and resources provided by the Center, I was able to negotiate some of my creative ambiguities. This focused situation although brief, allowed me to develop in leaps and bounds. Visiting critics: Frances Barth and Jean Blackburn, along with some block-buster co-residents continually fed the painting monster within me. Vermont Studio Center occupies a 30+ building very rural campus along the picturesque Gihon River in Johnson, Vermont. I began most mornings with other residents for an hour of Tai Chi in one of the lush gardens maintained by the Center. Cai Xi Silver, a resident and painter led each session. With little distractions, and meals provided, producing art, though it is never an easy task, suddenly became modus opperandi. My second floor, sun-filled corner studio in the Barbara White Building was my lair to wrestle the creative beast and finally wring about 10 (mostly incomplete) paintings by month’s end; a deluge of investigation transferred to my home studio.

Dance - Human Movement and Visual Art

(ink on paper, 44" x 30")

(acylic on paper, 29" x 21")

http://www.tomwagnerart.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_wagner/

With a more direct connection to my roots in dance, I have been able to examine and explore the powerful element of movement with a fuller understanding and sensitivity. Early on, beginning in Pittsburgh at the drama school of Carnegie-Mellon University, I had investigated areas of performance and eventually dance at Point Park College. After working through many forms and styles of the art, I realized that making visual imagery was actually the core of my work. I have incorporated the figure, reference to it, or simply movement derived from human movement into the paintings. It is now unavoidable. As my imagery develops, I am interested in the hybrid of permanent and temporary. Training with Leonide Massine and Vitale Fokine in Phg., and with Martha Graham, and Harkness House in NYC has brought a natural fluidity to my investigations of architecture and place. I am interesdted in the places that are on top of, in between and that encompass other places. It’s the reality of virtual and actual, of past and future, of all seemingly opposite realities that construct our experience.

Published Artwork

The Literary Journal, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Spring 2001, Vol. 44, N0.3

Cover art: Tom Wagner

Many journals, magazines, etc. have published my paintings as their cover art. Above are a few examples including Playbill for Carnegie Hall (Nov. '06, April '08), and Fairleigh Dickinson's The Literary Journal. A literary connection is a great resource and inspiration offering creative feedback, motivation and insight.

Literary Journals-Magazines:

http://www.clmp.org/

http://www.newpages.com/literary-magazines/

Check more images on my flickr pages:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_wagner/

Murals

After spending three summers in Philadelphia (city of murals) I accepted the invitation of painting a 360-degree mural in a private home for a family with strong roots in the history of Panama. The painting (summer, 2008) which represents time and place incorporates elements of the historic French contributions as well as native culture.

Artist Opportunities

Just a few more places for artists to check out:

https://www.callforentry.org/login.php

http://www.inliquid.com/opportunities/opportunityworldex.php

http://www.mdartplace.org/artists/regional.html

http://www.kansascityartistscoalition.org/forum/forum_artist_opps.html

http://www.collegeart.org/opportunities/type/3/

http://www.nyfa.org/

http://www.azarts.gov/artists/opportunities.htm#visual

Artist Residencies - Summer 2009

http://www.artistcommunities.org/

http://www.resartis.org/

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is located in Amherst, VA, approximately 3 hrs. southwest of Washington DC. I spent time there this past summer (2009) with a variety of visual, literary and music artists. Pictured above, are the artist dromitory building, and the barn-studio. The entire complex is air-conditioned and well appointed. It provides an intensly focused situation for independent work and self-directed growth. During my stay, Barbara Bernstein, the year-round resident VCCA artist, opened her site specific Things are not what they seem, nor are they otherwise installation at Hollins Univserity, Wilson Museum (July 16-August 22, 2009). Other like-inspirational evening events included composer Diane Moser's presentation of Walter Thompson's Sound Painting techniques. Check out the site http://www.vcca.com/