Thomas T. Wilson: Paintings [Hardcover]

Sally Hayman (Author), Peter Simpson (Author), Thomas T. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2004

Paintings from more than forty years of work have been gathered for this first publication of Thomas T. Wilson's work. His distinctive mark as a painter emerges from this juxtapostion of commissioned portraits, self-portraits, and landscapes. Trained as an artist at the University of Illinois, Yale, and the University of Oregon, Wilson came to the Northwest to settle in Port Townsend, Washington, in 1960. In 1962, the year of the Seattle World's Fair, an exhibit of New York School painters brought the work of Motherwell, Johns, and Rauschenberg to local attention. A 'Northwest School' of Tobey, Callahan, Graves, and Anderson had already been identified in a "Life" magazine article, and a new generation of local painters was developing. Well aware of the art scene both locally and nationally, Wilson developed his own subject matter and style. He maintained the traditional concerns of a painter, but also saw the canvas as part of the work, and not just a window for an illusion.Looking through pages of the book, the reader will see a constant movement toward simpler and larger paintings. Soon after Wilson's move from Oregon to Port Townsend to live and work, he was discovered by discerning collectors. He brought a sympathetic eye to the Northwest landscape and climate, and his large paintings were a complement to the Northwest domestic architecture just then emerging. He painted portraits of his friends. They told their friends about Wilson, and soon he was painting people who wanted portraits congenial with their taste for modern abstract painting. Post World's Fair and pre-Microsoft Seattle was a time of significant cultural growth in all the arts - theatre, opera, dance, music, and architecture. Many of the people who were part of this growth sat for Tom Wilson and the portraits form a valuable record of Seattle's recent history. Wilson has captured a society in the cultural world it helped create.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sally Hayman is a former art critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and commentator on the arts for KING FM. She lives in Seattle. Peter Simpson is executive director of the Port Townsend Film Festival and an author of several books on Port Townsend, where he lives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (August 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295984090
• ISBN-13: 978-0295984094
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A special place., September 13, 2009

By 

M. Seeley "dedicated researcher" (Bainbridge Island, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thomas T. Wilson: Paintings (Hardcover)

I first met Tom Wilson when I was in college during the late sixties. I first heard about this book at a reception hosted by Anne Gould Hauberg three years ago (2006?).

This book is a gem. Maybe you need to study photographs of some of the people in Tom's portraits to get an idea. This is way better than John Singer Sargeant. Tom goes beyond what they look like and zeroes in to who they really are.

You should get this book. And he has some really great stuff on parts of trees.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas T. Wilson: Paintings, December 19, 2009

By 

Juliana M. Kozik "Juliana Wegeng Kozik" (O'Fallon, Mo) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thomas T. Wilson: Paintings (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my Father who the first cousin of Thomas T. Wilson. The paintings are amazing and his talent really shows. If you are from Seattle it is a great reflection of his works. As family members we love to read about his history and review his works. This is a great book to read about an amazing painter.