Curator

Rayfield Lewis

Featured Artist

Thomas Bess

Experience a captivating exploration of the fleeting and ever-changing nature of our world through the eyes of an Artist, Thomas Bess. This collection showcases thought provoking works that reflect his deep engagement with critical theory and the concept of recycling nature. 

A Statement from the Artist

“My work explores the relationship between Critical theory and recycling culture. With influences as diverse as Derrida and Miles Davis, new synergies are manufactured from both constructed and discovered dialogues. Ever since I was a teenager I have been fascinated by the ephemeral nature of the moment. What starts out as hope soon becomes corroded into a dialectic of greed, leaving only a sense of decadence and the inevitability of a new order. As spatial phenomena become transformed through diligent and critical practice, the viewer is left with an insight into the darkness of our world.” -Thomas Bess Jr. 

Artist Bio

Thom Bess specializes in collage style paintings and drawings. Influenced by Picasso, Romere Bearden, and Stephanie Jackson, Bess’s work has been described as mystical, darkly funny, challenging, and uplifting. He was raised in the small town of Gray, Georgia with strong Christian values and all the contradictions of the American South. Following a near death experience at 18, Bess began splitting his time between Jamaica and Amsterdam where he began studying African-centered metaphysics and, ironically, began to channel his very American experiences onto canvas. Returning to the U.S. in 2008, Bess started creating wall projections for small gatherings of friends in a newly re-emerging party and arts scene in Atlanta depicting cult pop culture icons, literary figures, and people he encountered at a local coffee shop. He currently lives and works in Atlanta.  

Events

Opening Reception

Interactive Mulit-Media Performance

Sponsors

• ArtsXchange

• Fulton County Arts and Culture 

• Community foundation of Greater Atlanta

• Davis Bozeman Law

• Fidelity Charitable

• MHR International 

• South Fulton Arts

• Fidelity Charitable

• The Black Man Lab

• The Community Corps