TOM COSTA
about the artist
I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and spent my childhood exploring wilderness and the sleepy back allies of Charlottesville, Virginia. I became transfixed by the landscape and obsessed with what secrets it held. Painting has become a way for me to explore the landscape of my memory. As I have moved from studio to studio, up and down the east coast, I have synthesized my experience from recent to distant memories, from beauty to horror, into my own language, and mode of making work. My work has changed forms over the years, from oil painting, to sculpture, to ink drawing, but the focus has always been on interpreting our experience and trying to understand the relationship between the individual and the unfolding landscape around us.
After graduating from MICA I received an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. I had my first solo show at Clementine Gallery in NYC in 2005, since then I have shown work across the country and over seas. I have continued my practice consistently through good times and also through some very challenging times.