Pop Surrealism
Ice Cream 2010 Acrylic on Canvas (6” x 6”) Sold
Tran’s Bears 2018 Acrylic on Canvas (28” x 28”) Gift
The Duck Painting 2006 Acrylic on Canvas (24” x 36”) STOLEN
Pop Surrealism
I began finding my style and voice as a painter in my early-twenties while in art school. Growing up straddling the socioeconomic pressures of being a “mixed race” child of white and black parents, I saw comfort and camaraderie with solitary and misunderstood characters. In turn, I gravitated towards the controversial and surreal juxtapositions.
At this period of time, I was mostly interested in creating dialogues- inviting the audience to “make sense” of these odd worlds and uncanny characters. I wasn’t trying to make any statement, per-se. I wanted to make paintings that amused me. If not through overt subversion of expectations and social norms, though subliminal jokes and visual portmanteaus.
It wasn’t until I stepped away from this period of my work, did I see more of these through-lines that many of these works manifested my loneliness and suffering at the time. All-In-All, these definitely represent a formative time for me; but many don’t hold any specific narrative. I still encourage the audience to look within and see the potential in these characters and in themselves.
Float 2009 Acrylic on Canvas (5” x 7”) Sold
Broccoli 2009 Acrylic on Canvas (20” x 24”) NFS
Triceratops? 2009 Acrylic on Canvas (18” x 18”). Sold
Banana 2010 Acrylic on Canvas (5” x 7”) Sold
Vaya con Dio, Amigo 2010 Acrylic on Canvas (9” x 9”) Sold
Torso Boy 2010 Acrylic on Canvas (30” x 24”) Sold
Toaster Boy 2010 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas (12” x 12”) Sold
Torture and Despair 2013 Acrylic on Canvas (36” x 12”) $300
To My Brother, The Eggman 2014 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas (3’ x 3’)
the eggman
My only and younger brother Jason Thomas is a Renaissance Man If there ever was one. In spite of my efforts to juggle Emergency Medicine and Fine Art, He outshines me Several Fold. He has a PHD in Plant Genetics from the University of Minnesota (2019); Speaks English, Spanish, French; and he is a piano Virtuoso.
Fun Fact about my little brother: he is in the top 5 percentile of Beatle Maniacs. I too enjoy the boys from Liverpool from time to time; and particularly found the lyrics of “I Am the Walrus” to especially resonate with my psychedelic sensibilities.
Fun Fact about my baby brother: he HATES eggs. Since we were Young kids, he vehemently opposed having eggs anywhere close to his plate; so far as he refused to eat food with Egg in the top 7 of main ingredient.
As proud as I am of my baby bro, it has been my sworn duty to remind him of our “one year, three month, and 18-day” age difference. Keeping with big brother tradition, I couldn’t pass the opportunity for a good ribbing. Enter, “The Eggman”; a portrait of my baby bro As an egg, surrounded by every lyric of “I Am the Walrus”. He is the Walrus, he is The Eggman. Goo Goo Got You!