Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Garner.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After high school I decided to enter UCSD, mainly to get into their exchange program, as I really wanted to go to Italy for my junior year abroad. At that time, painting and drawing in the traditional sense were not even offered in the Visual Arts curriculum, so my artistic foundation is basically built on Conceptual Art and semiology. In my junior year, I was awarded a California State scholarship as an exchange student, to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Italy, where I honed my fine art skills and techniques and found a strong nexus between craft and concept. That was a profound time for me, a turning point, as I decided to remain in Italy indefinitely.
I fell in love with all things Italian – from the food and the people to the history and culture, and especially, the museums and the classical work of the old Venetian Masters, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Tiepolo. As an expatriate, I wanted to absorb all I could, to fully immerse myself in the Italian way of life. I married Italian, started a family, and began working for a leading ad agency, where I created the look of several major Italian clothing labels, including Diesel, Benetton, and Nordica. That led to being offered a position as the Creative Director for Replay, where I generated work that defined their iconic vintage style and branding for many years.
I eventually published a book on my graphic design work that became an industry favorite: Casual Design by Tom Garner. Since the design world paid very well, I was able to paint whatever I liked without having to worry about its scalability. During this time, I was commissioned to paint a portrait of the owner, which then led to commissioned portraits of his friends, including Princess Stephanie of Monaco, a few Italian rock stars and heads of other large companies. I produced only a few other pieces of art per year at that time, due to my full workload, but I often spent my days off in the museums, taking photos on the sly, since photography was prohibited.
I found the resulting slightly blurred images were mesmerizing and began painting them as is. Thus began my now-signature series of “paintings of pictures of paintings,” which I have been continuously creating since the early 1980’s. After 24 years in Italy, Lucky Brand made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, as Director of Graphic Design. I returned to LA in 2000, after commuting for a year between Italy and LA and assumed responsibility for creating all graphics, logos, and applied design for the apparel lines, in-store signage, and advertising.
I generated their highly-successful program of graphic tees, including many that referenced musicians through their licensing programs. Now a freelance designer, I continue to create designs for multiple musicians including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, John Fogerty, and Creedence Clearwater Revival and others. This also provides me with more free time to devote to my fine art practice.
Has it been a smooth road?
I feel fortunate to have been working steadily my entire life doing what I love, so I really have no complaints!
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
As a fine art painter for nearly 40 years, I have created multiple series of work, from classical paintings to plein air landscapes, to my own style of fragmented realism which borders on abstraction. But there is no subject more interesting than the portrait, and the kind of painting that delves into and enhances the expressive minutiae of the individual.
I find it very fulfilling to complete a commissioned portrait, and upon presentation to the client, have them express their joy at how perfectly I have captured their likeness and personality. Since most of my portraits are done by commission, they are not often seen in public, however. I believe I am most known for my signature style of painting where the images are layered, blurred, appearing fractured, or appearing to be sliding into – or out of- the canvas.
This work is for me the nexus between craft and concept; culture and perception; history and present; surface and content. A successful painting is a completed circuit of all these things. The subject matter varies from paintings of pictures of paintings too many layered compositions of urban scenes, classic automobiles, or iconic landmarks of LA such as the 6th Street Bridge. I created a series of paintings of that bridge shortly before it was torn down, which inspired a local curator to create a large group show at Art Share LA.
I am very proud of my many years of teaching students to fully express themselves through art. Teaching has forced me to gain a real command of my craft and put order into my knowledge, ultimately making me a better painter. I have taught at the Kline Academy for many years, but always keeping Venice in my heart, I started teaching a course in Venetian style painting at UCLA Extension in 2007.
My “Classical Oil Painting in the Style of the Venetian Masters” has been a very popular class ever since. I have trained many students in this technique, some of whom have gone on to be successful painters themselves. But most importantly, that class inspired a book I am about to publish, The Order of Painting, which focuses on the great innovation of the Venetian school of the late Renaissance that breathed life and atmosphere into painting as never seen before.
I believe there are very few artists in Southern California that have the depth of understanding of this technique as I do, largely because of my many years of living in Italy and studying the classical Venetian masters as I did for 24 years.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
When I first came back to LA after my long sojourn abroad and saw LA with new eyes, I saw struck that our wonderful sunset city, the drive-thru, drive-by, drive-in city is the “place for things out of place.” That is there is everything! Problem is there is too much traffic.
Up to now, DTLA has been something of the calm in the eye of the storm. But even that is changing.
Contact Info:
- Website: tomgarner.com (fine arts site) and tomgarner.foliohd.com (professional site)
- Phone: 310-709-7153
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: #thomasgarnerartist
- Facebook: Tom Garner
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
