Interview with artist Tom Day
Originally from Indiana, artist Tom Day is now based in Northwest Arkansas. His uses both digital and traditional media to create paintings that examine racism, consumerisms and the hijacking of the Christian faith for monetary and political gains. He has no hesitation in asking viewers to confront uncomfortable truths pervasive in our society. More of Tom’s work can be found at his Instagram and website tomdayart.com. (Profile photo by Millie Cooper)
AAS: Tom, first of all, congratulations on your recent marriage. Are you and your bride Arkansas natives?
TD: I’m actually from Indianapolis Indiana! My wife is from Monticello, Arkansas, and moved to Northwest Arkansas about five years ago after college.
AAS: Did you grow up around art and artists?
TD: I kind of did. My dad studied voice most of his life and is a composer, and my mom sang a lot, especially in church. My cousin Matthew Skillern is a visual artist and was going through art school during some of my most developmental years. It was he, paired with my natural curiosity to create, that first got me into the visual arts.
AAS: Tell me more about your art education.
TD: I was placed in advanced art classes in Middle school and high school, where I had great foundational instruction from my teachers. I later attended Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis from 2014-2018 and received my bachelor’s in painting from Indiana University.
AAS: Tell me about Chrome Boy. It was the first piece of yours I saw, and I was blown away.
ChromeBoy, 36” x 24”, mixed media on canvas
TD: I applied to be in a group show at the Harrison Center for the Arts in downtown Indy. They do a “color show” every December featuring a different unique color palette. In 2021, the color was Silver. My friend Edrece Stansberry is an art director and photographer that actually directed a cowboy-esque photoshoot a year prior. I was inspired by one image he took and asked him if I could use it as a reference. I had recently seen the Chrome portraits by artist Kip Omolade and felt super compelled to combine the two inspirations into what we now see here. ChromeBoy is mixed media. I got into doing digital painting and illustration in college. Now I’m on a journey to bring the digital medium into the physical and marry it with traditional painting to create highly textured, mixed media paintings.
AAS: Describe your process of creating your mixed media works?
TD: Most of my paintings get printed by a company out of Texas. In most cases, yes, I do paint on top of the canvases. It is here that I hope to transform a canvas print into a one of one artwork and bring the art of digital painting into the physical gallery space.
AAS: I love the way you use color and absence of color to create different moods. Drought is monochromatic gray, which adds to its mystery and drama. What is the story behind Drought?
Drought, 30” x 40”, mixed media on canvas
TD: I grew up in the church. It was here that I felt I was always told that “God has a plan.” Later on in my church involvement, I struggled to keep that sentiment. “God has a plan for his people to starve? Or die from climate change?” It just didn't sit right with me. With so many things going on in the world, I felt it was necessary to illustrate what was going on in my head. I’ve come to realize that true change can come from taking real on the ground action to better our communities and world.
AAS: Your work often comments on Christianity. I am thinking here about Selling Point as another example. How are you hoping the viewer will respond to your images?
Selling Point, 40” x 30”, mixed media on canvas
TD: My hope is to share a different perspective that maybe the average believer hasn’t considered. My current fear is that the western Christian faith has been apprehended and infiltrated by far right, nationalistic leaders and sentiments. I cannot stand by and see a faith that I once embraced and found solace in be used as a cultural, ideological, and legislative weapon. I have to use my work as a voice.
AAS: Previously Known is another provocative image but super interesting on its own. What is the story behind that image?
Previously Known, 30” x 40”, mixed media on canvas
TD: I painted this after a stint of mass shootings plagued the US in 2021. The protections of unrestricted gun access over the protection of our fellow human lives by the conservative Christian apparatus has always bothered me. The crown of thorns was a way for the Romans to mock Jesus. In the same way, I feel like the unwavering protectionist sentiments of modern semi-automatic firearms is the modern day “mocking” of the gospel and what it stands for.
AAS: You’ve done some wonderful and powerful portraits. I want to ask you about two of them. BeReal pt. 2 is an intriguing portrait with the little volcano inset. The other is CONTENT. What are the stories behind those paintings?
BeReal pt. 2, 24” x 18”, mixed media on canvas
TD: BeReal pt. 2 is a recent painting of mine, originally painted in Procreate, and then printed on canvas. I found the gentleman in the painting when scrolling through social media. I find that Instagram, funny enough, is where I get a lot of my references. The whole idea behind the BeReal series is to bring awareness to our distraction, and aversion to things that truly matter- i.e. the climate crisis, water and shelter access, homelessness, and racial/class division. BeReal is a social media app that allows you to take a selfie and also take a photo of “what you are doing in the moment.” While there are rare critiques of this particular online platform, I decided to utilize its electronic display as a mechanism to communicate my thoughts.
CONTENT, 40” x 30”, mixed media on canvas
CONTENT serves as a powerful commentary I wanted to have on modern society's relentless consumption of digital media and the pervasive influence of late-stage capitalism. The grocery bag symbolizes the way we collect and consume content, much like we do with food, blurring the lines between necessity and indulgence. I think there's an ethereal connection to what we consume on our phones and how we fuel ourselves with food and water. This artistic pursuit has me wondering, is digital and social content becoming as vital for us humans as calories and hydration? I’d argue, maybe so.
AAS: Tom, an artist chooses what to say, if anything, with their art. Why have you chosen to explore social issues including Christian nationalism?
TD: I feel as if I’ve observed the uprising of Christian nationalism over the past ten years or so. As someone who grew up in the church; this modern ideology is not found anywhere in the teachings and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. I want to use my artistic platform to try and reason with and educate others about the harm of intertwining religion with the state.
My art will continue down the current path of dissecting consumerism, politics, and class with an emphasis on progressivism, utilizing and centering portraiture. I will be showing my work at the 21c Hotel in Bentonville, Arkansas next year in the spring/ summer.
