Here, we ask the artist about the details behind a recent work.
Bio: Tommy May, 31, Brooklyn
Title of Work: It’s Rough at Squibby
Where to see it: “Tommy May – Vineyard Paintings” pop-up solo show with Half Gallery at the Tashmoo Spring Building, Martha’s Vineyard on July 6 from 3-7PM.
Three words to describe this work: Stormy, Seascape, Expansive
An interesting feature that’s not immediately noticeable: There is a hint of light below the moon on the horizon, suggesting some respite from the thrashing waves in the foreground.
How the work reflects your practice as a whole: This work is a bit of a departure from my practice as a whole, having visible brush strokes pulling it away from the abstract and closer toward a seascape. That said, the work has the constant matrix of the rising moon seen throughout my practice, an image I repeatedly paint inspired by the last panel of Thomas Cole’s Course Of Empire. In this final panel, nature has begun to take back over a destroyed empire, a heron has made a nest on top of a broken column and the moon rises above—signaling hope in nature’s resilience.
What’s one song that captures the work’s essence: “Feel Flows” by The Beach Boys
