Tom Edwards

Artist Statement

Art is not a luxury but is an essential aspect of human existence demonstrated by the compelling need to make art and to view art from Paleolithic times to the present era.

It is through the study of art objects and architecture that we have developed some knowledge of our kindred pas and it is fair to assume that future generations will learn much about us from the art and architecture we leave behind. Written accounts let us glimpse the past with much greater clarity, however, they are sadly incomplete having begun comparatively late in history.

Visual art has many facets - among them are religious art, political and propaganda art, emotional therapy, communication between generations and cultures, and visual esthetic experiences. The exquisitely sensitive and sophisticated drawings of Cave Art in many parts of the world give us tantalizing vignettes from the past that begin the saga of cultural religious and art history. In his text, A World of Art, Sayer states that Art History is also the history of religion as well - the concept of Creator, God, is a also a compelling human need expressed often in The Arts.

It is both my gift and franchise to create art, and it is, additionally, my obligation to create images not only for you esthetic appreciation but also to promote thought and discussion. The artist's body of work is the distillation of his/her life - education, hopes, thoughts dreams, fears, joy, pain, loss, inspiration, analysis, improvisation, achievement. Making are is physical, intellectual, passionate and almost always emotional, sometimes to the point of weeping while working or having a magnificent endorphin "high". To even the casual observer these emotions and feelings come through the work. From a larger perspective, one could paraphrase the old conundrum " if a tree falls in the woods and there is no one to hear, was there any noise?" - alternatively, if there are no viewers of art, is there any art? Art is always least a two person experience involving you, the observer or patron and the artist who frequently sees the world and life in a new or different way. The artist is not an isolated, unconnected person but time and again is a mirror reflecting contemporary concerns, a window to view life in a new perspective or an agent to pay honor to our collective past. To paraphrase another person's thought, I make drawings, paintings, prints, jewelry and sculpture, therefore, I am.