Thom Ross

A life-long interest in American history and the “folk hero” who is a product of that history has been the motivating force behind my work.  My emphasis however, is focused on the “historical folk hero” as compared to the “mythical folk hero”.  An example of the historical folk hero would be Jesse James, a mythical folk hero would be Paul Bunyan; one actually existed while the other is the product of tall tales.

My desire is to produce a work of art that requires the viewer to re-examine either what he knows about history, or what he thinks he knows about history.  I have done paintings of Indians playing croquet, Indians playing ping-pong, a camel walking through the deserts of Arizona with a human skeleton strapped to his back, an outlaw member of Butch Cassidy’s “Wild Bunch” gang in the quick-draw stance of the gunfighter wherein his opponent is a skunk, General Custer standing next to his pet pelican, and each one of these images is based on an actual incident!  I feel that to present such startling images which are based in fact really causes a unique reaction in the viewer.

My other objective in re-working so much of our past history into my work is my deep desire to update; using bright colors, abstracted forms, and a contemporary style of painting; these figures from a dim, often misunderstood past.

I believe that as we re-examine and often question the historical forces which shaped the lives of the subjects I paint, their “meaning” can fluctuate, and that the subjects of my works can be brought into a contemporary setting with a vibrancy and excitement that is seldom, if ever, found in the more standard traditional style of art work that has so often been used to represent historical figures and events.

With my love of history, my enjoyment in story-telling, and my passion for painting I feel that my product is truly unique, and I believe it supplies as much in artistic enjoyment as it does in the contemplation of history and the people and events which so shaped it.

Thom’s work is represented in Arizona by Wilde Meyer Galleries.  Click on any piece to enlarge it.

Check back for more work from Thom Ross soon.