On display June 28 – July 23, 2022
Surface is a compilation of Tom Cubr’s formalist inspired works that are abstracted aerial views. Watching the patches of Earth in different colors and human impact on the terrain, Cubr was inspired to make these works when flying in an airplane for the first time. Using satellite images as basic layouts, his finished work doesn’t always resemble the source images. He has even revisited the same locations years apart and notices the changes humans and the environment have had on the land.
Cubr’s art also has texture as you look closer at each piece. Oil, gouache, pencil, sand, and more are included in is works to build texture despite his work remaining flat on the walls. “The physical appearance of the surface of a work of art is, for me, as important as the overall visual impact of a picture’s design and color,” says the artist. His work is vibrant, detailed, and expressive both up close and at a distance.
Although they are often brightly colored, they are intended to be quiet oases of subtle expressiveness which I hope people will view up close.
Tom Cubr
About the Artist
Tom Cubr
Cubr earned a BA in Art & Art History from Eastern Illinois University in 1983. Although for many years, he supported his art by working with the elderly and persons who have disabilities, he tried to devote time to develop a style and techniques which focus on color and subtle execution. His studio is at the Starline Factory at 400 W. Front Street, Harvard, IL. where a growing group of local artists and artisans have been creating art and opening their studios to the public.