Tomaselli Fred
Fred Tomaselli, born in 1956 in Santa Monica, California, is an acclaimed artist known for his captivating works that blend both abstract and figurative art forms. His creations draw from diverse sources such as art history, and Eastern and Western decorative traditions, resulting in mesmerizing patterns that seem to grow organically across his compositions. Tomaselli has gained an international reputation for his meticulous craftsmanship and richly detailed artworks that are described as both deliriously beautiful and compelling hybrids of various artistic media.
His signature pieces are unique in their composition, incorporating materials ranging from pharmaceuticals, street drugs, and natural psychotropic substances to collaged elements from printed sources and hand-painted ornaments. These components are suspended in gleaming layers of clear, polished resin, creating an electrifying and destabilizing effect where actual objects, photographic representations, and painted surfaces coexist seamlessly.
In 2005, Tomaselli began a series of works on paper, transforming the front pages of The New York Times using gouache and collage. These surreal compositions serve as meditative reflections on the absurdity of news cycles, allowing Tomaselli to respond to a range of issues from local anecdotes to global crises. He describes these pieces as “quietly political,” offering commentary on the world’s turmoil while continuing to paint.
Tomaselli’s work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions, including at the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE (2019); Oceanside Museum of Art, CA (2018); and Toledo Museum of Art, OH (2016). Notably, his 2009 survey exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum toured to the Tang Museum in Saratoga, NY, and the Brooklyn Museum, NY (2010). Other prominent exhibitions include the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh (2004), Albright-Knox Gallery of Art (2003), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (1999).
His works have been included in significant international biennial exhibitions such as Sydney (2010), Prospect 1 (2008), and Site Santa Fe (2004). Tomaselli’s art is held in the public collections of prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and many others.
Fred Tomaselli continues to be a notable figure in the art world, using his unique style to explore and comment on the complexities of contemporary life.
