PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST
Very rarely does an artistic talent come along that stops us in our tracks and make us reconsider what we thought we knew about art. Tom Armstrong's paintings do just that. They captivate us with their intriguing blend of the bizarre and the ridiculous, layered with a gentle humour. Armstrong resists being classified as an "Outsider Artist", having studied art in Dunedin during the 1980s. Still, it is hard to deny his singular approach, which seems as natural to him as breathing.
Living a relatively simple, almost reclusive life in rural Hawke's Bay with his wife, Nicky, Armstrong creates a world that is rich with a life-as-circus cast of characters, interwoven with references to artistic, literary, popular, as well as deeply personal sources. The delightful frames made by Armstrong are an integral part of the works, underpinning the whimsical nature of his paintings.
