“The Art of Tom Meyer”

by Chris Murray on November 8, 2020

The Georgetown Dish’s Judith Berman posted a fine story on Tom Meyer’s new exhibition of paintings at Addison/Ripley in Georgetown. Berman’s review is well illustrated with Tom’s paintings. Don’t miss the show if you are in Washington.

The Art of Tom Meyer Now at Addison/Ripley
November 4, 2020 | by Judith Beermann

Visit Addison/Ripley Fine Art through December 5, 2020 to experience Tom Meyer’s “Seeing in the Dark” exhibition.

Unofficial exhibition curator and friend, Chris Murray wrote about Meyer’s work: “Tom Meyer has been referred to as an ‘outsider’ artist.  He is indeed a self-taught painter. Working primarily with acrylic on canvas or board, Meyer’s paintings originate from impulses within his soul.  The cast of characters that inhabit his paintings give an account of his inner life and his imagination. They tell a story with his themes, “of redemption, forgiveness, acceptance, rejection and love,” as he has described it.

Outsider artists offer a pure glimpse of unedited inspiration. Meyer is no exception. His work is equal parts benign and disturbing. Ghosts, devils, aliens and demons flirt with everyday objects, animated trees and animals fierce and household. The houses are domestic and slightly ominous. The larger paintings suggest complex narratives while the smaller ones are portraits or, in some cases, a catalogue of Jungian seeming symbols.

“I don’t paint things, I paint ideas,” says Meyer. His work is informed and inspired by a variety of ideas, from current events to ancient philosophy, part of a creative tradition with roots that include early American folk art. 

Meyer has created a personal universe with his paintings, as many outsider artists have done. This exhibition is a dazzling display of that universe.

Special thanks to Chris Murray of Govinda Gallery for the introduction to Tom Meyer and for his invaluable curatorial expertise.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 1:00 am – 5:00 pm, by appointment.

Addison/Ripley Fine Art is located at 1670 Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Tel: 202.338.5180


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