The Arts & Business Council, Blackbird Media, and F&M Bank have teamed up to present the Artist of the Week on The Nashville Sign. This week’s featured artist is Dooby Tomkins!
William R. “Dooby” Tomkins Jr. uses a variety of materials including hand cut layered paper, oil paint, acrylics, ink, encaustic, and other mixed media to create a dialogue between both flat and thickly textured painted surfaces. His interest lies in the juxtaposition of mass media imagery when it is repurposed to create new meanings and images.
“There exists in society today a consistent outwitting and outflanking system known as the ‘Spectacle’, an entity made up of the conglomeration of advertising and corporate marketing…As an artist I must contemplate rebelling against the Spectacle simply through my process of slowing down the images, demanding that they be seen as important through their transformation to art.”
Tomkins earned his bachelor of fine arts with a concentration in painting and drawing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2005. While at UTC he studied the Spectacle theory, and also became interested in the postmodern painting practice of image appropriation.
His work has been exhibited throughout the greater Nashville area, Chattanooga, California and Ohio. More recently he was featured in exhibitions at Modfellows Gallery and the 21C Museum Hotel. William currently resides in the Greater Nashville area.
To learn more about Dooby Tomkins and his work, visit doobytomkins.com.
Want to be featured on The Nashville Sign? Visual artists working in any medium, who are members* of the Arts & Business Council at the Basic Level ($30 annually) or above, are eligible to apply for Artist of the Week on The Nashville Sign.
*Those unable to become members due to financial barriers can be granted a waiver. Contact us at info@abcnashville.org to be confidentially considered for a waiver.