Stephanie Theodore gets the prize for press release of the day for her five deceptively simple takes on Jason Tomme’s exhibition. The show is a compelling mix of different media, from wood and stone sculptures and found objects to finely detailed pencil drawings, which I can imagine the artist making alone, in his studio, contemplating art’s need for solitude, all the while longing for human companionship and conversation. We can all relate to that.
[Jason Tomme, Crack Painting September 2014, 2014, oil on linen, 24 x 18 inches.]
Jason Tomme, installation view at Theodore:Art.Take One: Charlie writes to Charles of the “undeniable beauty” and “lingering disquiet” of the “strange kingless space” in which he finds himself. Like the damp, debris-strewn rooms at the center of Andrei Tarkovsky’s films, this uneasy place seems an illusory realm beyond the veil of appearances.
Take Two: It’s good to be lonely. Really, it’s fine.
Take Three: When a loved one passes, the heart goes kablooey.
Take Four: Donald Rumsfeld hit the nail on the head when he spoke about “Known Unknowns”.
Take Five: Drawing, painting, sculpture splayed into a single room. A series of meticulous graphite drawings of potted plants, a new painting from the ongoing series “Crack Paintings”, and a myriad of new sculpture serve as wondrous artifacts to an inquisitive look at solitude, imagination, and location.
