Tim Cantor
Encyclopedia
Tim Cantor is an American self-taught surrealism
artist and writer. Tim was raised in Marin County, California
and began painting at the age of 5 using a box of oil paints and brushes that were his great-grandfather's. Tim's great-grandfather was the English Artist, Lloyd Dundas Whiffen (1885-1951). His first oil painting was created at the age of 5. When Tim was 15, he won a Bank of America
achievement in arts award. Also at the age of 15, Tim was given his first gallery exhibition where one of his paintings was acquired to hang in the White House
. Tim has since had exhibitions in Athens, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Venice, New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco. He currently has galleries in both San Diego and Sausalito, California
which are dedicated to his vision and his art. Cantor currently lives and works in Southern California.
to create studies for larger compositions. Tim has a traditional style using brushes and paint and utilizes no tools or devices in his work.
Many of his works are based on his own fictional and non-fictional stories and poetry. These stories, he says, mostly come to him during the long process of creating the paintings.
achievement in arts award. At his first show, Senator Barbara Boxer presented the award and then chose a painting to hang in the White House
. The early publicity created a demand for his work. After finishing high school in Marin County, he began traveling and exhibiting his paintings in galleries and open air events throughout the Western United States. After seven years on the road he decided to display his paintings exclusively in fine art galleries and then in 2000, Tim Cantor established Ashby Galleries. Ashby Galleries and Ashby and Alfred publications are devoted exclusively to Tim Cantor and display his work year-round. As previously stated, one of Tim Cantor's paintings is in the permanent collection of the White House
and just some of his well-known collectors include Baseball player Bob Scanlan
, football player Dhani Jones
,and actors Terrence Howard
and Robert De Niro
. Tim's art can be seen hanging in the lounge of Ago, a restaurant owned by Robert De Niro
at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas).
"Many believe that Tim Cantor holds the ideal combination of extraordinary talent, unpredictable intrigue, and great diversity in his work to make him a timeless artist." ~ GoShop2day.com
"The Art of Tim Cantor features the stunning paintings and drawings of world renowned artist Tim Cantor." ~ Discover San Diego
"The Art of Tim Cantor, a specialized gallery exhibiting renowned artist, Tim Cantor, is not to be missed. He has a knack for capturing mood and mystery in each piece of art. These paintings have traversed the world in exclusive exhibitions and will no doubt maintain their allure for years to come." ~ Jada Thomas, Gaslamp.Org 2007 Article
"This exquisite venue features the exclusive collection of the renowned artist who has been painting since the age of six." ~ Victoria Lee, San Diego.Org
While there are two gallery locations (Sausalito and San Diego, California), In September 2010, the gallery in San Diego was voted the #1 Best Art Gallery in San Diego by 10 News.com
Coming sometime in 2011, Harvest Productions will be releasing a short film taking an intimate look at the Art of Tim Cantor. This film will feature interviews with Tim and Amy Cantor, as well as some of his closest collectors.
In June 2011, Tim Cantor and his piece "Beauty's Privilege" were featured on the cover of San Diego's City Beat Magazine. The article discusses his gallery in San Diego as well as his work on a new book and a new collection of art and writings. "Like most of Cantor’s work, “Beauty’s Privilege”, the piece on CityBeat’s cover this week, has a detailed emotional story behind it. His imaginative, surrealistic imagery is never done off-the-cuff; instead, the introverted, soft-spoken artist lets his emotions and thoughts drive the content of his pieces." ~ Kinsee Morlan, San Diego City Beat Magazine
With his piece, Beauty's Privilege as the muse, Tim and international fashion designer, Gordana Gehlhausen (from Project Runway
Season 6) have been inspired to create works of art which express an emotional impression of loss, love, and ultimately- finding beauty in the midst of tragedy and adversity. Along with Gordana, Tim will be working with David Hartig, a photographer who will document the various steps involved to nurture an idea into a work of art and Denise Bonaimo (educator/ visual artist) will create a lesson plan that focuses on drawing from life experiences as the inspiration to create works of art with emotion. The team was recently mentioned in a November 15, 2010 article by Chantal Gordon for The Feast.com.
Currently the project is ongoing and will continue through 2011 and will include fashion shows and exhibitions of the teams final projects including a VIP fashion show at the San Diego International Airport
in April 2011. The Art Meets Fashion Event will host a VIP fashion show on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the San Diego International Airport Series of independent exhibitions for each of the teams 3 hubs including NTC Promenade at Liberty Station, North Park and Downtown San Diego. Beauty's Privilege project will be exhibited at Shop Goga in downtown San Diego in April 2011 (TBA). One group exhibit, which will present highlights of each team at the San Diego International Airport from April –Sept 2011. ( Terminal 2, baggage claim)
The exhibition will feature the results not only of the collaboration of the artist and fashion designer, but also the documentation of the process by talented videographers, writers and photographers. An exciting component of the team is the educator who will be asked to create lesson plans for their classrooms and general publication.
The finished dress can currently be viewed on the website for this project www.zhibit.org/beautysprivilege. The dress was also recently featured in the April 2011 edition of San Diego Magazine in preparation for the fashion show in April.
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
artist and writer. Tim was raised in Marin County, California
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
and began painting at the age of 5 using a box of oil paints and brushes that were his great-grandfather's. Tim's great-grandfather was the English Artist, Lloyd Dundas Whiffen (1885-1951). His first oil painting was created at the age of 5. When Tim was 15, he won a Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
achievement in arts award. Also at the age of 15, Tim was given his first gallery exhibition where one of his paintings was acquired to hang in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Tim has since had exhibitions in Athens, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Venice, New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco. He currently has galleries in both San Diego and Sausalito, California
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
which are dedicated to his vision and his art. Cantor currently lives and works in Southern California.
Works
Tim Cantor paints in oils on a variety of different surfaces. He learned on his own since early childhood, almost exclusively in oils however he often uses other media such as watercolor and charcoalCharcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
to create studies for larger compositions. Tim has a traditional style using brushes and paint and utilizes no tools or devices in his work.
Many of his works are based on his own fictional and non-fictional stories and poetry. These stories, he says, mostly come to him during the long process of creating the paintings.
Exhibitions
Tim Cantor began showing his paintings professionally at the age of 15 when he was honored with the Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
achievement in arts award. At his first show, Senator Barbara Boxer presented the award and then chose a painting to hang in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The early publicity created a demand for his work. After finishing high school in Marin County, he began traveling and exhibiting his paintings in galleries and open air events throughout the Western United States. After seven years on the road he decided to display his paintings exclusively in fine art galleries and then in 2000, Tim Cantor established Ashby Galleries. Ashby Galleries and Ashby and Alfred publications are devoted exclusively to Tim Cantor and display his work year-round. As previously stated, one of Tim Cantor's paintings is in the permanent collection of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and just some of his well-known collectors include Baseball player Bob Scanlan
Bob Scanlan
Robert Guy Scanlan Jr. , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1991-2001...
, football player Dhani Jones
Dhani Jones
Dhani Makalani Jones is a former American football linebacker who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning All-Big Ten honors for three straight seasons. He was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round of...
,and actors Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor. Having his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television...
and Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
. Tim's art can be seen hanging in the lounge of Ago, a restaurant owned by Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas).
Publications and media
In 1998 a video interview was created by Corbus about Tim Cantor and his life and work. Tim was interviewed in San Francisco by Corky Engel. The interview was titled "The Power of Imagination" and can still be viewed on YouTube via the Corbas channel. In 2005 Tim established Ashby Galleries and Ashby and Alfred Publications and also published a book in 2005 titled The Art of Tim Cantor."Many believe that Tim Cantor holds the ideal combination of extraordinary talent, unpredictable intrigue, and great diversity in his work to make him a timeless artist." ~ GoShop2day.com
"The Art of Tim Cantor features the stunning paintings and drawings of world renowned artist Tim Cantor." ~ Discover San Diego
"The Art of Tim Cantor, a specialized gallery exhibiting renowned artist, Tim Cantor, is not to be missed. He has a knack for capturing mood and mystery in each piece of art. These paintings have traversed the world in exclusive exhibitions and will no doubt maintain their allure for years to come." ~ Jada Thomas, Gaslamp.Org 2007 Article
"This exquisite venue features the exclusive collection of the renowned artist who has been painting since the age of six." ~ Victoria Lee, San Diego.Org
While there are two gallery locations (Sausalito and San Diego, California), In September 2010, the gallery in San Diego was voted the #1 Best Art Gallery in San Diego by 10 News.com
Coming sometime in 2011, Harvest Productions will be releasing a short film taking an intimate look at the Art of Tim Cantor. This film will feature interviews with Tim and Amy Cantor, as well as some of his closest collectors.
In June 2011, Tim Cantor and his piece "Beauty's Privilege" were featured on the cover of San Diego's City Beat Magazine. The article discusses his gallery in San Diego as well as his work on a new book and a new collection of art and writings. "Like most of Cantor’s work, “Beauty’s Privilege”, the piece on CityBeat’s cover this week, has a detailed emotional story behind it. His imaginative, surrealistic imagery is never done off-the-cuff; instead, the introverted, soft-spoken artist lets his emotions and thoughts drive the content of his pieces." ~ Kinsee Morlan, San Diego City Beat Magazine
Projects
In May 2010, Tim Cantor was asked to participate in a project called Art Meets Fashion. In partnership with the San Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN) and Fashion Opportunities Connect US (FOCUS), The Art Meets Fashion mission is to initiate collaborations between established fashion designers and visual artists of excellence, to showcase the creativity in San Diego, and to encourage local teens to be involved in the Arts.With his piece, Beauty's Privilege as the muse, Tim and international fashion designer, Gordana Gehlhausen (from Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
Season 6) have been inspired to create works of art which express an emotional impression of loss, love, and ultimately- finding beauty in the midst of tragedy and adversity. Along with Gordana, Tim will be working with David Hartig, a photographer who will document the various steps involved to nurture an idea into a work of art and Denise Bonaimo (educator/ visual artist) will create a lesson plan that focuses on drawing from life experiences as the inspiration to create works of art with emotion. The team was recently mentioned in a November 15, 2010 article by Chantal Gordon for The Feast.com.
Currently the project is ongoing and will continue through 2011 and will include fashion shows and exhibitions of the teams final projects including a VIP fashion show at the San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico...
in April 2011. The Art Meets Fashion Event will host a VIP fashion show on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the San Diego International Airport Series of independent exhibitions for each of the teams 3 hubs including NTC Promenade at Liberty Station, North Park and Downtown San Diego. Beauty's Privilege project will be exhibited at Shop Goga in downtown San Diego in April 2011 (TBA). One group exhibit, which will present highlights of each team at the San Diego International Airport from April –Sept 2011. ( Terminal 2, baggage claim)
The exhibition will feature the results not only of the collaboration of the artist and fashion designer, but also the documentation of the process by talented videographers, writers and photographers. An exciting component of the team is the educator who will be asked to create lesson plans for their classrooms and general publication.
The finished dress can currently be viewed on the website for this project www.zhibit.org/beautysprivilege. The dress was also recently featured in the April 2011 edition of San Diego Magazine in preparation for the fashion show in April.