Tom Lowe, Untitled, c. 2016-18

Tom Lowe is an artist who works mostly in paints and pencils, and whose work sub- verts what it means to see and experience as both artist and human. Lowe is inter- ested in consumerism and commodity culture in the digital age, and analyses how we consume images and how they circulate, creating new forms of curation. In this newest series of works, similar to Pop art pioneers Sigmar Polke and Jasper Johns, Lowe studies the everyday; from palm trees, art, folded jeans, humans, and the expe- rience of ﬂying, the inclusivity of his subjects and his choice to repeat and recre- ate his own paintings is a decided move to be matter-of-fact. The goal is to make the least creative works possible, a step further from a still-life, these paintings are like snapshots of mundanity, each work being unique. The result is a take on what it means to be an artist, what representation itself is, what the value of an artwork is, and what role the viewer plays in all of the above. This notion also dialogues with artists such as Andy Warhol, Richard Prince, Wayne Thiebaud, or Roy Lichtenstein, who inspired themselves with the common objects of society's everyday life. What is striking about Lowe's drawings, which can lack in the artistic language of other mentioned artists, is the academic quality to his drawing technique. In an acute understanding of shadow and colors, Lowe gives a strong rendering of not only the ob- ject or subject exposed to the viewer, but also the impression it naturally gives a spectator. Unlike a simple repesentation, Lowe manages to create an emotion, and give each work a sen- timent, that the viewer can experience in its own way. The heat and relaxation of a palm tree, the heart pinch and amazement of a ﬂight, the sadness in a tear, the excitement of unbuttoned jeans and the precision and mystical element of an artwork, are all born from the end of Lowe's pencil.

Tom Lowe British, b. 1982

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Tom Lowe British, b. 1982

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