THOMAS MALCOLM COOK

Bridging

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:27:00 +0000

Recently I have returned to Portland bridges as subjects for a new round of paintings. I keep coming back to the idea. I started working with bridges in my paintings in 2008 and have been focusing solely on the bridges across the Willamette river since my first bridge show in 2008.

It began as a departure from my natural affinity for figure painting. I felt like creating a painting with an angular, cold, metal, utilitarian object and giving it a personality and approachability would be a great challenge. I had no idea I would be painting them for almost two years. I have probably created over 50 paintings in that time and collectors of my work have responded to them like no other series I have created.

Last year I veered away from bridges to tackle another painting project that has been on my mind and scattered though my sketchbook for years, paintings that tell a story with the assistance of American Sign Language. I have created less than ten works so far, but I love where they going.

I showed these at Pie Footwear in October - December of 2009 and might have an opportunity to show some more at Fuel Cafe on Alberta here in Portland sometime this summer.

I am also starting a new series of paintings based on room interiors with lots of overlap, color and drawn elements. Hoping to show those in Seattle later this year.

I thought that with these exciting new mountains to climb I would put my bridge paintings on the shelf. Not so.

Today when I was driving south on I-5 I had a sort of epiphany concerning the "why" I keep coming back to my bridges. Looking out on the Burnside bridge through the rain spattered windshield, I thought to myself, "Boy that is one I haven't really given enough time to." The next thought I had was how much I love this city. Right after that I realized that my connection with these bridges, connects me to this city, as the bridges connect the east and west halves of the city. Sounds corny, but it couldn't be more true.

For living here most of my life, I really don't know this town that well. I know a town that doesn't exist anymore, the Portland of the mid-1990's. There are people that have moved here in the last year whom are more familiar with the pulse of the city. Granted, I am a bit of hermit. However, to lose touch with the wonder of one of the best cities I have ever visited is a crime. That is what I realized, what my paintings of these Portland icons mean to me and to the collectors of them. The works are not representing the metal and concrete things, it is capturing the ideas behind them. East meets west, earth meets sky, art meets collector and artist meets city.

I am inspired to paint...by the city, the bridges, the people and the art.

Bad Economy? Buy Art!

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Hello Again,

I have been thinking about a couple of ideas for quite a while. Is it a good idea to buy art in a down economy? And, how does a painting's value hold up against other purchases over time?

I am rather biased when it comes to questions of "Should people buy more art?" Well, hell yes they should! I'm a painter what should I say? But, if I step outside myself and think, "What is the value of that painting I sold to my neighbor's best friend in 1988 worth today?"

I've found that a difficult question to answer, since all the paintings I did back then were pretty different from one another, and few, if any, were sold or resold after a few years. There is just not much data for the current "value" of said pieces.

Paintings I created in the 1990's are a different story. I painted more in series and those paintings have be sold or resold recently. Ah, potential data for a conclusion.

In one example, I painted a series in the 1990's called the Bogeymen based on dream creatures of my childhood. The overlapped figures are crowded in the picture plane, one on top of the other, sharing arms and legs and teeth, always displaying some symbol of power or aggression like a boot, scowl, or pointed finger. To this day I consider these paintings as some of the best I have ever done.

My first solo gallery exhibition at the Indigo Gallery in Lake Oswego, Oregon was of these works. Although I didn't sell any at the show, I did sell some around that time, and have continued to sell the paintings I created during those years, including a sale last year.

How has the value changed over time?

In 1993 I sold them for an average of $500.

In 2009 I sold one of the same size and style for $1200

That is a 140% increase over 16 years.

Compare that with some other items one could purchase in 1993,

If you would have bought a brand new Toyota Corolla in 1993 it would have cost you $12000. If you took care of that thing like a baby with all scheduled maintenance, parked it in the garage every day, in 2009 it would be worth about $2800, losing over $9000 in value, not counting the cost of scheduled and unexpected repairs.

What about a brand new, state of the art VCR in 1993? It would have cost you about the same as a Bogeyman painting, at about $400-$500. Today? You couldn't give it away.

What about saving? Put that wad of $500 in a 2% savings account and what do you walk away with in 2009? $672.88.

This is a very isolated example you must understand. Art is not always going to increase in value, and actually that is not really the point of art, not even by a long shot. To look on a piece of art day after day and marvel at the creative energy imparted by the artist and to be able to gaze upon that physical manifestation of the artist's gift is more the point and joy of collecting.

I came late to art collection, mostly adorning my walls with my own creations, until about five years ago. I treasure the pieces I have in my collection over most other non-human, non-feline, non-pug items in my home. In case of fire, grab Carrie, cats, pug and art. Everything else can be replaced.

My point is this.

If you are looking for a way to brighten your world during these dark economic times, dollar for dollar, art is a great choice. The artists be painting, drawing and sculpting, just in case.

Thomas Malcolm Cook

A window

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:58:00 +0000

My Name is Thomas Malcolm Cook, acrylic and multi-media artist based in Portland Oregon, and this is the start of my blog. I am creating this to open a window not only into my creative process, but into the Portland art scene and the art world in general.

I received my education from University of Washington in the early 1990’s. I had some absolutely wonderful teachers, creating really spectacular art. My current love of painting, curating and teaching came from my art school years in Seattle.

Some things that were decidedly missing from my education were the practical concerns for full time artists, such as stretching canvas, photographing your art, the best place to purchase art supplies, pricing, building a portfolio, etc.. Tools, Tip, and Techniques, if you will. I want to touch on many of those topics in this blog.

Since I started curating my own shows in 2007, I have found that along with the previously mentioned individual concerns that are lacking in most art education, so are those associated with interacting with galleries, collectors and other artists.

Added to all that I would like to shine a light on my very specific and individual art making processes, and to my experiences being a practicing artist in Portland.

I hope you will enjoy the information, and please feel free to share your own experiences. Sharing is what art is about. We as artists (and we are all artists) can not lose that.

Thomas Malcolm Cook