About the artist
My abstract photography is created by blending the external effects of time with the internal stories of the human psyche. At times using graphic design like styles with pop art like colors, my artworks each have a unique narrative derived from psychological concepts, past experiences and my imagination.
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The Phoenix, Arizona based artist Thomas Watkins was born in the small town of New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1976, Where he drew graphic design like doodles instead of paying attention in class and often cut class to explore abandoned places that he’d heard about.
Beginning photography in 2003 Thomas honed his studies as a portrait and wedding photographer. After a few years he abandoned the portrait/wedding scene deciding that he was not made for the high pressure and demands (“and ridiculousness”) of dealing with people under the circumstances of their “Big Day”. In 2005 he began exploring more (and falling in love with) Arizona’s vast and varied landscapes. Equipped with his 4x5 Tachihara large format camera and black and white film Thomas trained his eye to look closer at the patterns and textures found in nature, dabling a little in abstract conceptual ideas.
In 2008 Thomas embraced the digital format finding that the technology had finally reach a point of validity with better noise control and print longevity. The advantage of memory cards’ ability to store hundreds of images and the lighter weight of the digital equipment opened up the possibility to bring an assortment of lenses to capture everything from vast landscape scenes to close up details of plants.
In 2009 he had his first fine art exhibition “Natural Adaptations” an abstract series of darkroom silver prints displayed for a month long solo show in the Photomark gallery of Phoenix, Arizona. Later that year he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Art Education and began student teaching photography at Centennial High School in Peoria, Arizona.
In 2016 after the death of his father, he became a fulltime fine art photographer and for the first time started selling his landscape and nature prints at art festivals around central and Northern Arizona.
ShoutoutArizona did a publication of his landscape and nature work in the 2021 article Meet Thomas Watkins
After nearly a decade of photographing the Arizona landscape exclusively for the attendees of art shows, Thomas found that the native landscapes no longer satisfied his creative needs and wanted to reexamine his abstract conceptual ideas of the early 2000s.
So, in 2024, he gave in fully to abstract photography. Breaking the chains of “natural” color limitations that he found stifling and having the opportunity to be unconfined in his desire for personal expression.
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Awards:
November 2019 - Artwork "Zion's Depths" chosen to be featured in Saatchi Art's "Flora and Fauna" Collection
July 2018 - Received Second Place Award of Excellence for the "H2O" exhibition at the J. Mane Gallery of San Francisco.
March 2018 - Received First Place Award of Excellence for the "Seasons" exhibition at the J. Mane Gallery of San Francisco.
Exhibitions:
"Phoenix On Film", Phoenix Film Revival March 2020. - Group exhibition - I had three toned silver prints in the exhibit which was a month long show depicting scenes of downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
"Natural Adaptations," Photomark, 2009 - Solo exhibition - Featuring a series of abstract black and white silver prints, this exhibition examined the unique abstract patterns created by tree roots in their pursuit of water, captured through the lens of macro photography.
Events:
Several times a year you can find Thomas attending art festivals throughout Arizona to selling his fine art photographic prints.
Education:
From 2007 to 2009 Thomas took photo 1 & 2, painting, drawing, life drawing, art history, two dimensional design, psychology, religious studies, and various other courses to acquire his Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Art Education through Ottawa University.
Influences:
Thomas finds inspiration and influence by the works of Mark Rothko, Aaron Siskind, Willem de Kooning, Wassily Kandinsky, Jack Dykinga, Alain Briot and many other artists he learned about while studying art history and the other artistic disciplines required to obtain his Bachelor’s degree.
