Tom

2/13/2017

“What’s going on at the old Sears Crosstown is more than remodeling; it’s a rebirth. For several years I've lived about a quarter mile from here, and sometimes driving by and seeing the light hit the building a certain way, I’d think, ‘Now, that would an interesting subject to paint.’ So I started taking photos of the building’s exterior and painting from those; then someone from the Crosstown project saw the work and allowed me inside to get interior shots. For two years now, I’ve been chronicling the changes. It’s a way to capture the elapsing of time. There’s a sense of archeology here: the history, the layers, the peeling paint, the passage of years. But my work is not just about the preservation of an old building. Even in realism, there’s always something more than just a depiction of facts. I see this as a metaphor for the decay, reinvention, and rebirth of a human being: both the exterior of a person and the interior life.

"It really hit home for me because in my early years, I was more or less drifting --- not very anchored --- but in my thirties, I came to some realizations that I hadn’t had before, and I changed direction in life; it was almost like a death and rebirth. That’s when I started painting. I had never been to a museum before, although I remembered liking to draw as a kid. From that point until now, for these past thirty years, I’ve painted. I taught myself to play tennis --- I’m head tennis professional for Tennis Memphis, which is my main job --- and I taught myself to paint, which I do on the weekends and at night. I want to leave something behind, to leave my mark on the world. Even if it’s a tiny thing, it’s a worthy pursuit and it adds value to my life."

[Tom's work is currently on view in the Crosstown Arts / Cleveland Street Flea Market, across from the old Sears building, which you see reflected in the background.]