The gallery is pleased to present our first exhibition of work by Portland artist, Tom Cramer. His painted wood carvings are incredible explorations of semi-abstract line and color. Influenced by frequent traveling, the artist incorporates the shimmer of French Impressionist color, the boldness of German Expressionist form and the pattern and design of India’s indigenous culture. His distinctive style is also influenced by technology and the inner and outer spaces found in nature. For this exhibition, the artist expands his wood carving and gilding into wood burning. This technique allows a more focused attention to line and the development of pattern. His carved works, which can take many months to create, slows down the creative process into a meditative state. This thoughtful process moves the work from a literal meaning into the sublime. Its hypnotic intensity reveals an emotional honesty and an abstract spontaneity much like singing or playing music. Tom Cramer’s art is about reflections of the world at large expressed through a remarkable and distinct vision.
Well-known Portland artist Tom Cramer graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 1982 and then studied at the Pratt Institute in New York. He has shown his work since the mid-1970s and has been included repeatedly in the Portland Art Museum’s Oregon Biennial. His work is included in the collections of Boise Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, University of Portland and Whatcom County Museum of Art in Washington. His commissions include costume and set design for the Oregon Ballet Theater and Ballet Pacifica. His distinctive painted designs can be seen on murals and vehicles around Portland.