Stead Thomas 2010 | artmakesmeshitmyhead.blogspot.com
Stead was born in West Texas and spent a majority of his childhood moving around the Mid-West and East Coast of the US until settling in Florida. He has dedicated his education to pursuing a career in the visual arts. Stead received his bachelors of fine arts at Ringling College of Art and Design (2006) and is current working towards his master's degree at the University of South Florida (2010).
Stead was born in West Texas and spent a majority of his childhood moving around the Mid-West and East Coast of the US until settling in Florida. He has dedicated his education to pursuing a career in the visual arts. Stead received his bachelors of fine arts at Ringling College of Art and Design (2006) and is current working towards his master's degree at the University of South Florida (2010).
Statement
“I'm just starting to scratch the surface of what really makes me happy and it's taken me a while to admit that acting like a little child and being a jerk and a punk is fun.”—Leonardo DiCaprio
I seek to maintain the wisdom and optimism of nonage, but am in a constant battle with responsibilities, obligations, and structure in general. I use a broad array of techniques and media to make work that exists in the indecision between activism and apathy. This seemingly, and sometimes actually, stagnant state acts as a stage for considering and reconsidering ideas, actions, and decisions. Taoism asserts that clarity and peace are achieved only through a balance of opposites. The impossible task of maintaining this equilibrium and avoiding hypocrisy is a struggle that exists in the heart of humanity. One of my goals as an artist is to shed light on this truth.
I prefer to use easily accessible, inexpensive, and sometimes craft-oriented materials and processes to reflect my quick work method and maintain a connection to my DIY lifestyle. Ideas and observations are examined in the form of letters, lists, drawings, paintings, wood burnings, zines, posters, sculptures, and events. The product expresses interest in sub-cultures and societal niches, especially where rival groups' ideas or practices intersect. Survivalist gun nuts hold the same reverence for self reliance as the hippie with an organic garden. Activist organizations sometimes adopt the same power and administrative structure as the system they oppose. There is a strong presence of iconography relevant to the various sub-cultures investigated by my work ranging from pentagrams and wizards to confederate flags, studs, beer, and bongs. The nature of my art is autobiographically framed, this personal stake in the product provides a stronger sense of honesty, which is key to useful communication.
I seek to maintain the wisdom and optimism of nonage, but am in a constant battle with responsibilities, obligations, and structure in general. I use a broad array of techniques and media to make work that exists in the indecision between activism and apathy. This seemingly, and sometimes actually, stagnant state acts as a stage for considering and reconsidering ideas, actions, and decisions. Taoism asserts that clarity and peace are achieved only through a balance of opposites. The impossible task of maintaining this equilibrium and avoiding hypocrisy is a struggle that exists in the heart of humanity. One of my goals as an artist is to shed light on this truth.
I prefer to use easily accessible, inexpensive, and sometimes craft-oriented materials and processes to reflect my quick work method and maintain a connection to my DIY lifestyle. Ideas and observations are examined in the form of letters, lists, drawings, paintings, wood burnings, zines, posters, sculptures, and events. The product expresses interest in sub-cultures and societal niches, especially where rival groups' ideas or practices intersect. Survivalist gun nuts hold the same reverence for self reliance as the hippie with an organic garden. Activist organizations sometimes adopt the same power and administrative structure as the system they oppose. There is a strong presence of iconography relevant to the various sub-cultures investigated by my work ranging from pentagrams and wizards to confederate flags, studs, beer, and bongs. The nature of my art is autobiographically framed, this personal stake in the product provides a stronger sense of honesty, which is key to useful communication.
Recent Works click an image to view
