In the "Centered on the Center", an open art show currently presented at the Huntington Beach Art Center, Thom Wright has two paintings from his recent series, "In Balance with Nature". The entire show of over 250 works is also shown online at their website, www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org under the "Current Exhibition" tag. The paintings are shown below, followed by his Art Statement for the series and a more detailed description of each composition.
Big trees and large forests have long inspired humans beyond the utilitarian resources they provide. Their spirit is uplifting; some becoming massive, towering and long-lived wonders of great strength. They thrive with earth, water and sun, and they benefit man and the environment. Symbolically they join the earth with the sky. Yet now less than 25% of the earth’s forests remain, and many are in environmental stress from climate change that brings higher temperatures, drought, disease and forest fires.
Choosing trees and forests in stress as my metaphor for the growing apocalypse of climate change emphasizes our collective dependence on nature for survival, that both man as the dominant species must search for and attain a global balance, in contrast with our present dominance of the earth’s resources and excessive pollution/destruction of nature. It cannot keep up with the pace of human impact on the environment. It is complex, diverse and dynamic itself, multiple ecosystems over the breadth of land, oceans and atmosphere, as well as populated with the great diversity of creatures, plants and the gamut of life.
In my geometric, somewhat expressive painting style, I paint abstract landscapes of line, form and space, on hardwood panels. These surfaces sometimes carry their own patterns, and they have their own way of influencing lines, colors and brush marks. My goal is to create a spatial environment of balance and exchange, of patterns, rhythms and relationships, of parts that make the whole. Just as many contemporary artists make compositions of pictorial, dynamic forces in balance, I make paintings to inspire man’s pursuit of balance with nature. I believe that only by achieving this balance can climate change be overcome.
It is immediately apparent that both of these abstract paintings relate to trees and their interchange with the atmosphere. In painting on the hardwood panels, several areas reveal the knot holes embedded in the hardwood painting surface. These circular tree rings are the "natural expression" in the wood panels of their life and growth process. Of course, trees breathe through their leaves by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and combine those molecules with water (H2O) and sun to generate its cellulose, and also produce oxygen (O2) that is released back into the air. Thus, preserving and increasing the total number of trees in the world helps to reduce the impact of mankind's ever-increasing consumption and associated production of greenhouse gases.
In my painting, the geometric shapes at the bottom represent the trees of the earth. Rising from them are shapes and lines rising into the atmosphere above, suggesting this interchange in nature. The atmospheric layers are mixed with a growing level of CO2 that is heating the planet and its consequent increase in melting ice caps, rising ocean levels, and violent weather with hotter temperatures.
My abstract paintings are not intended to be evocative of climate change, but to emphasize that man and nature must attain an organic balance of all of our processes of modern civilization. In addition, they must also present an effective artistic composition that is in my own style, combining colors, shapes, lines and textures, with movements and rhythms in a dynamic stability, as are the esthetic goals of contemporary art.
Thom Wright
thomwrightart@verizon.net
On Thursday evening, Nov 7, 2019, an important artist that you may know talked about his life and his art.
It was his first art talk in his life, and that being said, in no way should you doubt that something interesting was discussed.
This talk was presented at the Huntington Beach Art Center, 538 N. Main St, Huntington Beach, CA.
The visual image above that usually is a stimulating work of art, par excellence. However, the artist prefers to show the lesser and the bones of how one begins to make art. Hopefully, his audience will be comprised of other fellow artists that, possibly from curiosity or otherwise decide that they might be exposed to something about Expressionist art-making. That is the subject. And being the first of its kind for a talk by this artist, it may or may not be all that universal or that forthcoming with brilliant new ideas. As a matter of fact, it really relies on some interchange, discussion, and real questions about what "Abstract Expressionist Art" is all about. Needless to say, there is a possibility of humor, insight, and collective sharing that is all to the good. So be it, come and partake of something of a rare coin in the world today.
SCA members Ron Reekers, Ron Howlett, and Thom Wright are featured in this month-long exhibit. Thom has written a statement regarding his work in the show.
Members & Patrons Preview: Sat, Nov 17th | 5:30—6:30pm
Public Opening Reception: Sat, Nov 17th | 6:30—9pm
Art for Lunch: Nov 29th | 11:30am—1:30pm
The 5th Annual Artist Council juried exhibition addresses the idea of inspiration and how it impacts the artist’s vision. The exhibition features the works of over 100 artists working in a variety of mediums.
(714) 374-1650 | artcenterstaff@surfcity-hb.org
538 Main Street | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Gallery Hours
T-Th: 12-8PM | Fr: 12-6PM | Sat: 12-5PM
Closed Sun, Mon & most holidays.
