Tommy White

My recent endeavors explore a kind of playful formalism. I utilize shape, color, pattern, surface and many other formal elements to build two-dimensional compositions that may appear simple yet are often quite elaborate. The idea of play comes from a method that allows room for curiosity and wonder to navigate my course.  While using similar ingredients and a predetermined set of parameters, I find that as I create these comprehensive works, my process becomes like solving a jigsaw puzzle without knowing the solution beforehand.  It is my hope that the playful spirit of the making also carries over to the viewer.

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Tommy White, born in Detroit, received his M.F.A. from Clemson University in the discipline of painting and a B.A. from Michigan State University in ceramics. His work is included in many private collections as well as the permanent collections of the Crayola Corporation and Capital One Corporation. He has exhibited in over twenty states, the District of Columbia, Melbourne, Australia, and Seoul, South Korea. After working in higher education for nearly three decades, Tommy has refocused his attention to his artistic practice. Tommy currently lives south of Denver with his wife and daughter. If he isn't in the studio, he's probably fly-fishing somewhere in beautiful Colorado.​