Fred Tomasellis work

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Fred Tomaselli’s work 

Introduction

Art is an important aspect of human life because of the fact that it adds value to the quality of life and aids in the development of human creativity. It is a natural aspect that is perceived differently by various individuals. Further, it is a feature that has been appreciated since conventional times and can be considered a vital element that aids in the communication of social and cultural ideals, besides having aesthetic values. Most importantly, art has an economic value as the artistic skills and items are sold for financial returns. Modern art has different attributes and assumes varied forms. Painting is often at the core of art as it adds color that enhances the appeal of the object.

Any painting establishes a visual scope that is set with specific rules. Compared to conventional artwork, modern artists can be commended for having superb skills that are exhibited by their high quality products. This can be attributed to their ability to incorporate different skills when developing the same. One such artist whose work has won the hearts on many in the recent past is Fred Tomaselli. Indeed, it can not be disputed that the artist’s mastery of different artistic values is evident in his products. It is against this background that this paper analyzes the works of Fred Tomaselli. Elaborately, it will focus on his aspect of vision, hallucination and transformation.

Fred Tomaselli is an American artist born in 1956, in California. He is particularly popular for his detailed paintings drawn on wood panels which combine an array of unorthodox materials that are suspended in a thick layer of clear resin. Fundamentally, his paintings seek to explore social relationships with regards to altered perception, escapism, immersive reality, and utopian/dystopian belief systems. In the United Kingdom, he is represented by the White Cube and in the USA, the James Cohan Gallery.

Hallucination

Generally, Tomaselli’s paintings are termed as fresh, lively and detailed in a hallucinatory manner. The various components on his paintings vary from pharmaceuticals, street drugs, natural psychotropic substances, collages elements that are originally printed materials and hand painted ornaments. The paintings are coated with resin, and he clutters leaves, paper, pills and paper to present great intergalactic panels. He combines medicinal herbs, prescription pills and hallucinogenic plants with images from magazines such as those of flowers, birds, butterflies, arms, noses and many more.

These characteristics make his products unique and differentiate them from those of other artists. In this regard, Schwabsky contends that it is an indication that he pursues a theme that has not been successfully explored by other artists in the past (83). The painting, After Migrant Fruit Thugs (2008) is a classic illustration of how Fred Tomaselli portrays the hallucinatory visions that seem to radiate from the original work of the same title. In this, he uses silk and gold threads to create two luxurious birds that seem to be in paradise, and are set against a fantastical nocturnal backdrop.

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These are beautifully worked out into patterns spread over the surface of the painting to bring out a sense of a beautiful virus or growth. A remarkable work of Tomaselli is the Organism of 2005. The painting depicts a man with transparent skin plunging into crystal chaos of stars, spider webs and fractured mandals. This piece of art seems to bring out the human transition term as difficult between meat and mental ecstasy.

Organism, 2005

Vision

Vision is an important artistic aspect that is equally given preference by Tomasseli. In this regard, he employs a host of different artistic features to create this impact. For instance, he artistically uses different types of lines to ascertain different features of a given piece of art. Thus he succeeds in presenting to the audience a comprehensive piece of art that is characterized by intricate and harmonic features that can easily be understood by the audience. Coupled with a distinctive use of color, it can be argued that Tomasseli presents to the audience images that have exemplary features.

As indicated earlier, most of his art works tend to be engrossed in resin. However, it is worth noting that there are no specific guidelines with which he uses in developing these. Thus in most instances, he mixes this up, at times using multiple layers of collagen and changing the location of leaves. Further, he in some cases uses paint beneath the collagen and vice versa. This often has differtn effects on the audience but essentially, it puts them in a state of uncertainty; in that they are unable to identify the distinctive style that the artist employs in his work.

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Tomasseli: Use of Lines and Color and different textures to create visual Impact

In his review, Ayers also cites that Tomasseli employs different patterns of newspapers not only to create a specific texture but also to achieve a specific visual effect. This is an evident feature in most of his artworks and has been successful in creating a desired effect. Further, Rondeau indicates that his use of patterned newspapers is a sustainable way of conserving the resources that could have otherwise been employed in creating respective patterns.

In his personal view, Tomaselli contends that his paintings are windows into a surreal and hallucinatory world (93). He further incorporates allegorical figures such as in the untitled painting of 2000 where he borrows figures of Adam and Eve from Masaccio’ Expulsion. Another illustration is the Field Guides (2003) where he creates his version of the grim reaper. The figures in these paintings are described in an anatomic way such that the organs and veins are outwardly exposed like in a scientific drawing. Thus at this juncture, it can be argued that his mixture of themes culminates in rich pieces of art that are appealing to different viewers.

Tomaselli explores the relationship between nature and man and therefore depicts archetypal forms through the materials, color and pattern that he uses. This means that he is connected to various artistic and literary aspects of romance and wilderness. His paintings portray an aspect of spirituality and personal transformation that is connected to an immersion which may be either communal or individual in nature. Basically, his paintings are symbolic and humble and are aimed at creating spiritual correspondences (Schjeldahl, 97).

Another painting, The Big Bird (2004) on an overall general visual aspect, is a colorful exotic bird species that is perched upon the branch of a tree against a star-filled sky. His employment of color in this respect can be considered to effective as it clearly highlights the two varying environments within which the bird is situated. On a closer look, the bird is a representation of hybrid parts with its body constitution swarms of tiny flowers, eyes and beaks.

Use of color in this regard plays a critical role of clarifying the minute details that could have otherwise been overlooked. The overall aspect of this painting is unsettling as the bird seems to lie in between the natural wonder and mutant monster. The Big Bird appears to be a confirmation of Tomaselli’s work of shaping of nature which is defined by infection, pathology, pain and pollution. In this, Tomaselli also used different colors to invoke a feeling of texture too. This is important as it helps the viewer to make a clear differentiation between the different parts of the body and the environment within which it s situated.

The Big Bird, 2004

Transformation

Tomasseli also explores the concept of transformation in his artwork. Essentially, this seeks to provide the viewers with fundamental lessons with regard to social and spiritual values. In addition, transformation is informative as it teaches the society about the repurcussions of various events and actvities. Thus it can be used as a way of forwarning the same about activities that are likely to have far reaching implications on their holistic wellfare. With regard to Tomassells work, he employs transfornation to nform the society bout the historical events tha tinfluence the chriatian ideals that are revered by the same.

In their review, Barry and Heldi ascertain that Tomasseli uses human paintings to illustrate the concept of transformation (49). In particular, in his Expulsion, he depicts Adam and Eve being banished from the biblical garden of Eden. The garden in this regard is represented by a figure of a Mandala that is filled with pills and matter that are organic in nature. These features are also employed n his other artistic works like Airborne event as well as the Mellnium Phosphene Bloom. The inherent transformation have a lasting effect on the feelings of the audience as it evokes feelings of both pain and beauty.

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Tomasselli’s Expulsion

Apart from exploring the concept of transformation in his artwork, Tomasseli also presents some concepts of transfiguration. This implies that he is spiritual and it can be posited that he perceives spirituality in high regard too. A classic illustration of this is his Field Guides, 2003. In this, a man is presented hoeing mushrooms. Typically, this is not a something that is cultivated and is therefore compounded by certain strangeness (Barry & Heldi 46). Seemingly, the head of the man is depicted being transformed in to butterflies that are horn-shaped. Studies cite that this is a portrayal of the aspect of transformation.

Conclusion

Art is a very important medium of expression one’s thoughts, ideas as well as preserving one’s culture. Currently, it presents a viable option through which persons improve their economic wellbeing. As it has come out from the review, Tomasseli succeeds in mainstreaming in his work fundamental aspects pertaining to hallucination, vision and transformation. His distinctive use of different lines, shapes, color and other forms of art plays a fundamental decorative function. Furthermore, it enables him to present to the audience a wide range of ideas in a single piece of work. At this juncture, it can be concluded that his exploration of artistic forms and different concepts is indeed exemplary.

Works Cited

Barry, Schwabsky. Paintings. London: White Cube, 2007

Fred Tomaselli. White Cube gallery Retrieved 18th April, 2010, from: < HYPERLINK “http://www.whitecube.com/artists/tomaselli” http://www.whitecube.com/artists/tomaselli>

Ian, Barry and Heldi Jacobson. Fred Tomaselli. USA: DelMonico Books.

James, Rondeau. “Interviewing Fred Tomaselli” in Fred Tomaselli, USA: Galerie Gebauer, 1999.

Peter, Schjeldahl. “Street Value,” The Village Voice, 6 (1997): p. 97.

Robert, Ayers (October 20, 2006), HYPERLINK “http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/22791/fred-tomaselli/” Fred Tomaselli, ARTINFO, Retrieved 18th April, 2010, from: HYPERLINK “http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/22791/fred-tomaselli/” http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/22791/fred-tomaselli/