About The Work
Since 2005, Tomaselli has engaged in an ongoing body of works on paper that transforms the front page of The New York Times. Like his resin paintings–with which they have become increasingly intertwined–the Times collages are the product of a friction between the escapist impulse of artmaking and the crises of the world beyond the studio walls. The surreal compositions are ruminations on the absurdity of news cycles and provide the artist a space to respond to a variety of issues, from political squabbles to a global pandemic or a story of local heroism. As Tomaselli notes, “I think that maybe the Times collages are quietly political, in that I can riff on anything I want, while the horrors of the world become the background buzz. Maybe I’m saying that the world may be going to hell, but I still keep painting.”
Tomaselli said of his newest print, "watching Flaco flying free in Central Park was extra thrilling, coming as it did, not long after covid lockdowns were lifted. Somehow a crazy story of a “liberated” owl became the embodiment of a sense of regained freedom. But more than that, Flaco was beautiful and alert. We thought we were looking at him but he was also looking at us.”
About Fred Tomaselli
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Art for Democracy: Bid or Buy Now
- Interviews & Features: Hip-Hop Impresario Russell Simmons on Expanding Art's Possibilities Beyond the Art World
- Interviews & Features: Art for the Office
- Interviews & Features: All the News That's Fit to Print: Fred Tomaselli on His New York Times Collage Series
- Interviews & Features: An Insider's Guide to L.A.'s Art Scene
Archival inkjet print and silkscreen on paper
Paper: 15 x 16 in | Image: 11 x 12 in
The work is signed and numbered by the Artist on the front, lower right. Courtesy of the Artist and James Cohan, New York
About The Work
Since 2005, Tomaselli has engaged in an ongoing body of works on paper that transforms the front page of The New York Times. Like his resin paintings–with which they have become increasingly intertwined–the Times collages are the product of a friction between the escapist impulse of artmaking and the crises of the world beyond the studio walls. The surreal compositions are ruminations on the absurdity of news cycles and provide the artist a space to respond to a variety of issues, from political squabbles to a global pandemic or a story of local heroism. As Tomaselli notes, “I think that maybe the Times collages are quietly political, in that I can riff on anything I want, while the horrors of the world become the background buzz. Maybe I’m saying that the world may be going to hell, but I still keep painting.”
Tomaselli said of his newest print, "watching Flaco flying free in Central Park was extra thrilling, coming as it did, not long after covid lockdowns were lifted. Somehow a crazy story of a “liberated” owl became the embodiment of a sense of regained freedom. But more than that, Flaco was beautiful and alert. We thought we were looking at him but he was also looking at us.”
About Fred Tomaselli
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Art for Democracy: Bid or Buy Now
- Interviews & Features: Hip-Hop Impresario Russell Simmons on Expanding Art's Possibilities Beyond the Art World
- Interviews & Features: Art for the Office
- Interviews & Features: All the News That's Fit to Print: Fred Tomaselli on His New York Times Collage Series
- Interviews & Features: An Insider's Guide to L.A.'s Art Scene
Commissioned for Democracy Matters Benefit Auction 2024
Artist frame specifications are available. Please inquire with an Artspace Advisor
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