THOMAS WHARTON

COURTING WONDER

Wonder - is not precisely knowing
And, not precisely knowing not -
A beautiful but bleak condition
He has not lived who has not felt -
— Emily Dickinson

I work in the tradition of Western representational art, but from the viewpoint of a contemporary life. I think of my paintings as objects of contemplation, providing the viewer a door into their own world of feeling and intuition. I imagine this kind of aesthetic experience to be more circular, something like a conversation between two close friends, where there is as much listening as speaking.

Wonder is at the heart of any experience with art, and I want my paintings to activate that sense of wonder in people, so that everyday life can be transformed into something poetic and be a reminder, that life is more than it appears on the surface.

“Thomas Wharton’s work has an exquisite balance of visual tension and emotional resonance.” — John Seed