Fred Tomaselli is an American artist who grew up and started his career in the late 1970's. He was born in Santa Monica in 1956, and studied his craft at Cal State Fullerton. Drug culture interested him, and much of his early work centers around the drugs. As he expanded his horizons, he became interested in nature, the human body and birds. His work is exquisite, so intricate, so precise. He depicts abstract patterns, human figures, and forms from the
natural world into psychedelic visions and mesmerizing patterns.
Regarding the use of over-the-counter and controlled pharmaceuticals,
street drugs, and hallucinogenic drugs, Tomaselli explains, “these
chemical cocktails embedded in the paintings can no longer reach the
brain through the bloodstream and must take a different route to
altering perception. In my work, they travel to the brain through the
eyes.”
Tomaselli describes his work as a “search for transcendence.” The
artist states, “art is really about perception and mine have been
changed through visiting other realities.” Tomaselli’s work is highly
influenced by personal life experiences and the AIDS crisis.
On a cool Saturday morning, Fran and I visited the Oceanside Museum of Art, where we visited an outstanding exhibit of the works of Fred Tomaselli. I found it so interesting to see how he has evolved, gone from collages depicting drugs and surreal scenes, to collages dealing with nature, the human body and birds. He loves birds, and has done some beautiful works of birds. If you have an opportunity to visit this exhibit in Oceanside, you will be delighted. Enjoy a nice day out at the museum, then lunch at one of the wonderful lunch spots nearby.
No comments:
Post a Comment