Tom Torluemke ~ Fearsome Fable – Tolerable Truth

Last week, I drove down to the Hyde Park Art Center to see the Tom Torluemke installation titled "Fearsome Fable - Tolerable Truth". I've worked with Torluemke in the past and when I saw his imagery on the Art Center's web site, I was intrigued. The installation—located in Gallery 4—consists of 40 cardboard reversible wall panels spanning 170 feet. The reversible panels present two views of the world... One side apocalyptic and the other side approaching utopia.

While I was there, the Utopia side of the panels were being presented. I found myself exploring the environment along with six other people... all but one was in their late teens or early twenties. The younger crowd seemed disrespectful of the work... one boy leaning against a panel as he sat on the floor... another picking up a floor piece and tossing it with disregard. They were strangely mocking the imagery. One even pointed out an instance of domestic violence... making light of the daily horror some people experience even in a perceived perfect world. The work is amazingly thought-provoking yet my experience left me disillusioned. I wondered if this generation of self-entitled, disrespectful, unthinking children will grow up in time to save the world. But then, the generation before me probably had the same thoughts.

The Hyde Park Art Center is located at 5020 South Cornell Avenue in Chicago. The center is just a few minutes south of downtown and easy to get to from the major Chicago expressways. The exhibition continues through April 28th and there is a "Second Sunday / Turn It Around Event" scheduled for Sunday March 10 from 1-4 pm. The exhibition shouldn't be missed.

Born and raised in Chicago’s inner city, Tom Torluemke has exhibited his paintings, sculptures, murals, and drawings extensively across the Midwest since 1980. His artwork has been shown in solo exhibitions at venues including the Chicago Cultural Center, South Bend Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and in group exhibitions across the nation. Permanent public art commissions by Torluemke in fiberglass, wood, and terrazzo tile can be seen in the Indianapolis/Marion County Public Library, the Indianapolis International Airport, and Purdue University-Calumet Campus, to name a few locations. He currently lives and works in Dyer, Indiana, where he and partner Linda Dorman ran the (now-defunct) respected contemporary art space, Uncle Freddy’s Gallery. Torluemke received a BFA from the American Academy of Art (Chicago) and is represented by Linda Warren Projects. 
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Tom Torluemke ~ Precious and Few

Tom Torluemke's exhibition, titled "Precious and Few", will open at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago on August 5th. This incredible body of work is filled with imagery laced in surrealistic fantasy. Torluemke uses this strange and beautiful realism to convey his thoughts on current events as well as presenting the emotions that define humanity. Torluemke writes:

"With the exception of the two paintings each depicting a couple kissing, my works are motivated or inspired by the desire to combine ideas, thoughts, emotions and feelings for the creation of a painting so that those thoughts and emotions, etc. are turned expressively into a material form.

Life's complicated. Its range is vast. I don't understand it, I only sense there's some rhythm to it. Much of which is near invisible, or at least I can't describe it with words. So I choose to use images, color and shapes to come as close as I can to the mystery of life. Once I think I'm close to it, it's like it was a mirage, I rub my eyes to see if it's real and it's gone again.

Back to the kissing paintings, what I do best. When life gets too difficult, I think of a tender, loving moment. That's why I make those."

The paintings of Tom Torluemke will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 31. Previews begin on July 26th. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, August 5 from 5:30-7:30 pm. This exhibition is free and open to the public. All works are available for purchase. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.

Image: At Home 2007, [kissing], oil on canvas, 70 x 54.5", $12,000.00

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Tom Torluemke ~ Save the Date

I first became aware of Tom Torluemke’s work while attending a dinner party at a friend’s home. Looking at two large canvases in the host’s personal collection, I was intrigued. I was introduced to the artist at another social event, which allowed me an opportunity to connect a face with the work that had captured my interest. It seemed obvious to me that we would be working together in the future. Since then, I kept Torluemke's work on my short list for exhibiting at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. A few weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to visit with Torluemke at his amazing home and studio in Indiana.

Torluemke is an intriguing artist. After showing me around his space, we sat in his studio and talked about the work. We eventually began exploring the stacks of paintings, which surrounded us.

Torluemke’s canvases are composed of multiple-layered components. Surreal in a dreamlike collage of imagery—one element melting into the next—the work thrusts the viewer into an environment of psychological and social commentary. Torluemke's aesthetic transcends the concrete and allows for a fully developed voice within the context of his concern for truth and expressions of deep emotion, feeling and spirituality.

The work of Tom Torluemke will be on exhibit at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from July 26 through August 31. A reception is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop. The exhibition is free and all works are available for purchase. Save the date... It's going to be an amazing show!
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