Walter Tomasino

b. 1951

Provocative in nature, Walter Tomasino’s work deals with subject matter many artists avoid. He portrays the darker side and the underbelly of existence; people of the night, lonely travelers in life often lurking in doorways, alleys or in natures secluded places. The ones who have stumbled or are stumbling in are largely unaware of their situation. The lost, the abandoned, the lonely, the forgotten and the despaired all are given a voice; a moment everlasting in his work. Tomasino is a colorful vibration with a message. He is his own genre which he calls ‘Expressionist-Punk’. His work is not about correctness. It‘s about color, feeling, emotion and expression; what the viewer feels upon seeing the work. Even the sadness and sorrows are elevated to the ethereal, the spiritual; as are his works with nature and animals, which are treated with awe and reverence. The purpose of Tomasino’s work is to ignite the light of expression and emotion; a reflection of the human condition, the pulse and feeling of nature and the colorful vibration of all life. Walter Tomasino grew up in Worcester, MA and attended the Orson Welles Film School (1972 – 1975) and Vesper George School of Art (1974 – 1977). He later moved to New York City where he collaborated with long-time friend Steven Giuliano. There they started an art production company called NADA making a series of short films, which included Tomasino’s painting, animation and poetry. Two films in particular saw extensive distribution on German, Dutch and French television. Walter Tomasino has been affiliated with Gallery East since his first solo exhibition there in 1981. Currently, he continues to make new work and is in the process of digitally re-mastering his 16mm animated film The New Dark Ages to be released by Gallery East Productions in the fall of 2013. - Gallery East Network