Episode 101: Tom Jean Webb - Being Here

Austin Art Talk

“As much as art is about creating an object, it’s also about learning about yourself. My art has always been this tool for which I decipher the world, and my place in it, or who I am and how I learn and what I see. It’s the medium through which I decipher everything.”

Artist Tom Jean Webb grew up in England but knew from an early age he wanted to live in America. His mother and grandfather helped to inspire his creativity and if not for a chance visit to a contemporary art gallery as an adult, he would not have realized that what he wanted to say with his own art was valid and possible. After many trips and back and forth from the United States to England he finally committed to fulfill his dream and made the US his home.

The work he creates is heavily inspired by the colorful and rocky desert landscapes of the southwest and are explorations of space and his own personal reality. As he consistently strives to create his distinctive artwork he prioritizes being open and present, staying playful, having fun, and letting go of control and preconceived ideas.


Together From Afar I & II, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas 75 x 53 in
See Tom Jean's work in person at
Ivester Contemporary
916 Springdale Rd
Bldg 2, Suite 107
Austin, TX 78702
[phone]
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Intro music generously provided by Stan Killian

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Links:

• Tom Jean Webb
• Tom Jean Webb | Instagram
• Tom Jean Webb | Ivester Contemporary
• An Englishman Goes West: Tom Jean Webb at Ivester Contemporary | Glasstire