Jennings Tofel

Mid Century Expressionist Figures in Ink

Monotype Dramatic imagery from Tom Bennett’s series of monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstrokes, Tom Bennett creates representational images of human figures and animals, emphasizing movement in a manner reminiscent of Lucien Freud, Edgar Degas and the photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Elongated and blurry, the horse racing up a hill (Canter Fritz, 2002) and the sinister cat landing a leap (Chien Blanc, 1998) elicit a sense of foreboding enhanced by Bennett’s somber palette; his female figures too reflect a grim sense of humor with their distorted nude bodies. The face of Untitled Figure (1997), for example, is obscured by layers of dark paint. Classically trained as a painter, he initially worked in oil on canvas but discovered that monotype printing enabled him to “literally push the image around,” creating an essential element of motion. To overcome the limited scale of monotypes, however, he switched to painting on slick-surfaced plastic. Tom Bennett’s practice is rooted in the classical tradition where painting and drawing from life is highly regarded. Bennett’s work is heavily influenced by Francis Bacon, Frank Auberbauch and foremost his father, Harry Bennett, who was also an artist. Tom’s time living abroad in Spain and traveling through Eastern Europe and Africa provided the artistic freedom to explore many of the techniques and subject matter that continue to define his practice. Bennett was born and raised in Connecticut. His mediums include monotypes, oil on paper, canvas or styrene board. In a technique that Tom started over 4 years ago, several of his monotypes have been painted over with oil paint using a palette knife, brush, or his fingers to re-purpose the underlying image. These works are a testament to Bennett’s ability to quickly and concisely compose an image with expressive brush strokes, foreshortened figures and expertly rendered light. Tom’s work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions worldwide. Bennett lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He is currently represented by Tabla Rasa...

Black And White Minimal Painting is an original artwork realized by TUSET in 2020. We can frame it in natural wood on request. The title of this works is "From the Apollonian picto...

Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Abstracted form Pencil and pen and ink on paper Signed with monogram ‘CH’ (lower right) 11.3/8 x 7.1/2 in. (28.8 x 19 cm.) Provenance: These works c...

Miniature Abstract Totem. Signed with initials. Provenance: Virginia Field, Arts administrator; New York, N.Y. Assistant director for Asia House gallery. (she was friends with John v...

"Recall the Early 80's" is an original oil pastel and ink drawing by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece in the lower right. This colorful abstract piece is the artist's rec...

Abstract expressionist portrait of a colorful face by Berkeley artist Howard Margolis (American, 1927-2015). Unsigned, with “Howard Margolis” on verso. Presented unframed, in a paste...

Artist commentary: Summer in the Caribbean has lots of happy memories for me. The blue, blue water seen through a screen of leaves is a strong impressi...

Artist commentary: Nothing makes me happier than working in the garden and seeing plants bloom and bear fruit. We are more alike than we imagine. Words that describe the piece: Gar...

Artist commentary: Nature is always expressing abundance not scarcity. Words that describe the piece: nature,plants,green

Watercolor painting of standing prophet or Rabbi, Judaica artwork Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, ...