Tom Christopher
Encyclopedia
Tom Christopher is an American
artist known for his expressionist
urban
paintings, mostly of New York City
.
Critics generally have received his work in a positive light; it has been described as “exploring the many aspects of man’s struggle in an urban environment” with “a blaze of expressionistic colors”. The New Yorker
said of his work: “Monet had his water lillies, Tom Christopher has Times Square
”
in 1974. He then went Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena
to receive his Bachelor in Fine Arts in 1979 where he studied with the noted California artist Lorser Fitelson. He supported himself during school by doing drawing at Disney in Anaheim
.
Christopher started his art Career with commercial art in California
. His first work was for CBS Records
. He received a gold record for his work on promotional posters. He also worked for Motor Trend magazine
. In 1981 he moved to New York City
, and worked for the New York Times, People, Fortune
and Wall Street Journal, as well as a courtroom artist for CBS news
, covering trials as diverse as John Lennon
's shooter and “The Diet Doc Killer” Jean Harris
.
and Nordstroms. He also recently did a black and white series of paintings in a “New York is Noir Again” collection. He currently is in the Hubert Gallery in New York City
, Galerie Barbara von Stechow in Frankfurt Germany, and Galerie Tamenaga in Paris France, Osaka Japan, and Tokyo Japan.
, and others. Lift Trucks also sells Industrial Artifacts.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Selected Collections
Selected Public Installations
urban
paintings. “Most of the work is painted using small batch, handmade acrylic paint. Pencil lines from the initial exploratory sketch stage often remain on the white canvass. These raw areas give the painting both breathing room and serve as a reminder of the process. His artistic vocabulary ranges from lines that loop and skit around, to delicate watercolor washes, heavy brushwork to thick impasto with swirls and drips of color.” His subjects are described as “typical images include cabbies, hands huddled on the horn, hurtling down Broadway, drivers playing bumper cars in rush-hour traffic and subway riders in Times Square, like rats in a garbage heap, clawing their way into the light.” His work is usually done with acrylic paint in an expressionist
style.
Christopher has also recently been experimenting with collage style paintings and silkscreens that utilize multiple images and layers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist known for his expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
urban
Urban
Urban means "related to cities." It may refer to:*Urban, California, former town in El Dorado County*Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas*Urban , given name and surname*Urban , Danish free daily newspaper...
paintings, mostly of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Critics generally have received his work in a positive light; it has been described as “exploring the many aspects of man’s struggle in an urban environment” with “a blaze of expressionistic colors”. The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
said of his work: “Monet had his water lillies, Tom Christopher has Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
”
Early life and work
Christopher was born in Hollywood, California. He initially studied at the Pasadena Museum of California ArtPasadena Museum of California Art
The Pasadena Museum of California Art is an art museum located in Pasadena, California, USA, showcasing art and design that originates from California. The museum was founded by long-time Pasadena residents and art collectors Robert and Arlene Oltman...
in 1974. He then went Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
to receive his Bachelor in Fine Arts in 1979 where he studied with the noted California artist Lorser Fitelson. He supported himself during school by doing drawing at Disney in Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
.
Christopher started his art Career with commercial art in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His first work was for CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
. He received a gold record for his work on promotional posters. He also worked for Motor Trend magazine
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
. In 1981 he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and worked for the New York Times, People, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
and Wall Street Journal, as well as a courtroom artist for CBS news
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, covering trials as diverse as John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's shooter and “The Diet Doc Killer” Jean Harris
Jean Harris
Jean Harris was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia who made national news in 1980 as the defendant in a high-profile murder case of her lover Dr...
.
Recent work
Christopher has recently done work on a line of clothing with Urban OutfittersUrban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, Inc. is a publicly traded American company that owns and operates five retail brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN....
and Nordstroms. He also recently did a black and white series of paintings in a “New York is Noir Again” collection. He currently is in the Hubert Gallery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Galerie Barbara von Stechow in Frankfurt Germany, and Galerie Tamenaga in Paris France, Osaka Japan, and Tokyo Japan.
Lift Trucks Project
In 2010 Christopher founded Lift Trucks Project in Croton Falls, New York. It is an alternative art space with exhibitions featuring works from Picasso, Christo, Ottmar Hoerl, Walt DisneyWalt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, and others. Lift Trucks also sells Industrial Artifacts.
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions- Galerie Tamenaga, Paris: 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009,2011
- Galerie Tamenaga, Tokyo, Osaka: 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007,2010
- Galerie Vomel, Düsseldorf: 2004, 2006, 2010
- Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt: 1999, 2002, 2004,2007,2009
- The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown Ohio: May 2008
- HSBC, Trinkaus and Burkhardt, Frankfurt: 2007, Hamburg: 2008
- J.N. Bartfield Gallery New York: 2008
- Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, NY: 2007
- Conde Nast Building, NYC Per Cent for Art Commission, 2007
- David Findlay Galleries, New York: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005
- Michael Owen Gallery, New York: 1996
- Tamenaga Gallery, New York: 1993, 1994
- St. Marks Gallery New York 1990
- Eastmann Wahmendorf Gallery, Helio Gallery, New York 1990
Selected Group Exhibitions
- years of Printmaking, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, CT 2010
- Galerie Mada Primavesi, Madrid: 2007
- “PRINT- Andy Warhol, Ken Price, Tom Christopher” - Ward Pound Ridge, New York 2006
- FIAC, Paris 2005
- “At the Crossroads of Desire" The AXA Gallery, New York: 2004
- “New Views: Modern NY Cityscapes” The New York Historical Society Museum: 2004
- “Hessische Landesvertretung” Berlin: 2004
- “Kunstakademie, Kunsthalle Trier, Germany”: 2002
- “City Rhythms” Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY: 2002
- “Art for America” Benefit: Twin Towers Fund, New York: 2002
- Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Germany: 2001
- Art Cologne, Germany, 2000
- “New, New York Views” Museum of the City of New York, New York: 1999
- “Modern Times” Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah: 1993
- “Cityscapes” The Roger Smith Gallery, New York: 1993
- “Kustom Kulture” The Works Gallery, Los Angeles: 1993
- Socrates Sculpture Park, Oil and Steel Gallery L.I.C. NY 1992
- “Tools” San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco: 1988
- East Village Artists, Tokyo, Japan: 1985
- The Clocktower Center for Art & Urban Resources, New York: 1980
Selected Collections
- Allied Irish Bank,PLC
- Andreas Krone, Gmbh, Germany
- Absolut Vodka
- Art in Embassy Program, Malawi and Mauritania Africa
- Bertelsmann, A.G., New York
- Burda Group, New York
- The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
- Mrs. Laura Bush
- CBS Inc., New York
- Chelsea Murals, London Terrace Gardens, New York Mr. Lee Child, NY
- China Seas,NY
- Conde Nast, NY
- Dassault Falcon Jet, USA
- Jean-Louis David, Switzerland
- Eli Lilly Corporation, Illinois
- ESPRIT Corp.International. Fondation Colas, Paris
- The Ford Motor Corporation, Detroit
- Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, NY
- Goldman Sachs & Co., New York
- Guinness, p.l.c., United Kingdom
- The Hearst Corporation, New York
- The Hechinger Collection, National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
- Heineken, The Netherlands
- HSBC, Düsseldorf
- Indianapolis Ballet and Opera Association, Indiana
- The Office of the Mayor, New York
- Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
- Mrs. Joe Ellen Powell, American Consul General, Germany
- MTA Arts in Transit program, NYC
- The Museum of the City of New York, New York
- New York Historical Society Museum, NY
- The New York Times, Inc., New York
- NewsCorp Murals, Rockefeller Center, New York
- Pfizer, New York
- Mr. Stephen Schwartz
- Schwartz Pharma, Monheim
- Thorn Emi, UK
- Time Warner Inc., New York
- Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Philadelphia, PA
- Vin och Sprithistoriska Museum, Stockholm
- Wallrich Asset Management AG
Selected Public Installations
- 2006, 2007 - Times Square Project, Times Square, New York
- 2004 – The New-York Historical Society Museum, installation of chair, easel, and painting
- 1998 – MTA, “Art in Transit” Subway Art Series, New York
- 1997 – Roseland Mural, 30’ x 230’, New York
- 1992 – Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, New York
- “HammerBrush” bronze, dm various
- “Mason’s Trowel” automotive enamel, 20’ x 65’
- "Floating I Beam" automotive enamel,130'x 35'
Classifications
Christopher is known for his New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
urban
Urban
Urban means "related to cities." It may refer to:*Urban, California, former town in El Dorado County*Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas*Urban , given name and surname*Urban , Danish free daily newspaper...
paintings. “Most of the work is painted using small batch, handmade acrylic paint. Pencil lines from the initial exploratory sketch stage often remain on the white canvass. These raw areas give the painting both breathing room and serve as a reminder of the process. His artistic vocabulary ranges from lines that loop and skit around, to delicate watercolor washes, heavy brushwork to thick impasto with swirls and drips of color.” His subjects are described as “typical images include cabbies, hands huddled on the horn, hurtling down Broadway, drivers playing bumper cars in rush-hour traffic and subway riders in Times Square, like rats in a garbage heap, clawing their way into the light.” His work is usually done with acrylic paint in an expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
style.
Christopher has also recently been experimenting with collage style paintings and silkscreens that utilize multiple images and layers.
Current and upcoming exhibitions
Christopher had a solo exhibition on June 8-29th at Galerie Tamenaga in Paris, France. He is also developing a new experimental line of collage silkscreen works. Another solo exhibit will take place in May 2012 at Galerie Barbara von Stechow, FrankfurtExternal links
- http://tomchristopher-art.com/index.html
- http://www.ltproject.com/ltproject/lobby.html