“B2” Mixed media on wood panel 36” x 36” — **“B2”** Mixed media on wood panel 36” x 36”

Thomas Roth exhibits his abstract series on minimalism, Absence of Hue.

Thomas Roth is an abstract minimalist. He has a background in Scandinavian abstract art and a formal education from Beckmans College of Art in Stockholm, Sweden, a current and historical hotbed of minimal high design. Roth’s work is most often characterized by his exclusive use of white. It tends to be worked thoroughly to give the surfaces great tension and three dimensional quality. His focus rests primarily on his process, the surface structure, and the relationship between light and form.

Roth’s curiosity begins with the materials themselves. Used and recycled items including plastic forks, zip ties, styrofoam cut outs, and twigs function as the essential materials of his work. These items are infinitely available and typically unusual in form, allowing Roth to create unique pieces out of commonplace items. From here he questions how light will interact with these materials and how the shadows might create depth on the surface. This step challenges the boundary between painting and sculpture. It is the difference between a frozen moment painted on canvas and a dynamic and tangible relief sculpture that fluctuates in perspective. Roth then creates repetition, sometimes with variation. After this, Roth allows each piece to evolve independently based on the metamorphosis of the material’s physical form. This is achieved through melting, tearing, and layering. It is between the holes of distorted plastic and styrofoam that his pieces evolve.

“D3” Mixed media on wood panel 71” x 49” — **“D3”** Mixed media on wood panel 71” x 49”

Instead of demanding that every piece be representational in nature, Roth has a conversation with his medium and tries to understand the way it changes as he modifies it. He finds meaning in the metamorphosis of the recycled materials rather than forcing the medium to conform to a concept. He does this by surrendering himself to the uncertainties of his method. Roth understands the process of each piece as an “improvised dance with the medium that leads to surprises and spontaneous effects”. With this philosophy, he rejects personal conceptual projections in an attempt to embrace the possible anomalies that present themselves in the transformations of his relief sculptures.

Thomas Roth studied art at Beckmans College of Art and Design in Stockholm, Sweden and has a background in Scandinavian art with over 300 awards in the advertising industry as an Art Director. His corporate commissions include Volvo, Kodak, Intel, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, and Visa while his abstract work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Art in Stockholm, Sweden as well as Verum Ultimum Art Gallery in Portland, Oregon. He is also displayed in the Four Season Hotel in Austin, Texas as a part of their permanent collection.