Tom Flanagan

Lives and works in Maine, USA

Artist statement

The famous American Jazz Composer and Musician, Dizzy Gillespie, once said that he wasn’t interested in music – he was interested in sounds. Similarly, I’m interested in how sensations and sensibilities guide visual experience. My paintings are about how those things fit together and what happens with that moment. For me, the process of painting through improvisation is incredibly important. Not knowing where the painting will take me and accepting the concept of mystery is paramount. I’ve always been fascinated by artists who build their own language with a few colors, blank canvas and time. I tend to see such works as presenting something of a personal narrative of experience. My titles are meant as a way in and offer a kind of narrative tone that touches on sensation and memory. As a result, my work is more about listening than speaking. Ultimately, I make pictures I want to see.

Artwork