Thom Bierdz

Celebrity, Thom Bierdz opens with a one-man show at EXPOSED Studio & Gallery. The show runs from September 26th through October 26, 2005 with a special artist’s reception set for October 7th from 6-10pm.
A Special V.I.P party and media preview is scheduled for September 26, 2005. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and to the Arizona Human Rights Fund.
Thom Bierdz was a closeted gay man while acting on the Young and the Restless as Phillip Chancellor III during the 80”s is now in Phoenix to tell his story and experience his art.

About Thom Bierdz:
What emerges from his personal journey onto the canvas is at times heartbreaking, haunting and profoundly affecting. Thom's body of work ultimately proves to be an uplifting and inspiring experience of transcendence, a compelling testimony on the resilience of the human spirit. The brutal murder of his beloved mother at the hands of his paranoid schizophrenic brother in 1989 ended Thom's twenties. Most of his thirties were spent in silent catharsis as he labored intensively over an art film, motivated by the primal desire to make sense of the matricide.

Though Thom could only afford thrift-shop dolls to play his family members and painted their expressions with each bit of dialogue, the film went on to win Best Experimental Feature Film (PhilaFilm Award Philadelphia, PA and the Golden Calf Award in Davis, CA) 1997.

In 2000, another blow would enter the artist's life when his other brother, in a paranoid depression, committed suicide. Thom's need to express his inner fears became an obsession. "Each painting became an earnest attempt to make sense out of the senseless; to make something beautiful out of something tragic."

Contradictory strategies for painting have quickly become Bierdz's hallmark. Although he uses the same touch throughout, it can at times appear to be a number of different voices, even personalities. The reluctance to lay claim to a fixed position might at one time have been attributed to youth but it is clearly now an integral aspect of Bierdz methodology. Nothing is by chance. Even when the form appears to be a sort of free association, that's really his expertise in terms of handling paint. The process is at times extremely rigorous and other times purely subconscious. His paintings prove cunningly hard to pin down. One painting might be purely decorative abstraction; another an architectural interior or a figurative work. A single landscape might contain the following; asymmetrical branches that engulf a whimsical cabin, naïve animals that refer to Henri Rousseau's paintings, atmospheric washes that evoke Rothko's use of vivid color and bold strokes of shapes that seem to pay homage to Matisse.

Whether it is a yellow-green wash over a woman in a chair or the mystical atmosphere of a moonlit landscape or storybook houses, it is a lyrical arrangement of elements that flips between symbolism, impressionism and abstract patterning. Bierdz is masterful at establishing tension between the decorative mark and recognizable imagery.
In the end, the artist allows the work to speak for itself. The very thing that takes our breath away, his facility, his range, this combination of charm and a kind of brutal reality, are the same avenues we all walk. He holds a universal mirror, as if to dare us to look at ourselves, and with a bold conviction and honesty, embrace all of who we are.

Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1962, Mr. Bierdz currently resides in both Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona.

Recent Award:
THOM BIERDZ WAS HONORED BY VOX® VODKA AND OUT MAGAZINE
AT FIFTH ANNUAL VOX/ OUT EMERGING VOICES OF STYLE+DESIGN AWARDS

Thom Bierdz Named Best Emerging Designer in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — VOX® Vodka and Out magazine are proud to honor up-and-coming artist Thom Bierdz with the VOX/Out Emerging Voices of Style + Design Award. The highly respected industry award was created in 2001 by VOX Vodka and Out magazine to honor openly gay and lesbian individuals whose works have come to signify style, vision and design. To commemorate its fifth year, VOX and Out will be honoring artists and designers who are just beginning to establish a name for themselves – a new focus for the coveted award.

The second of five honorees nationwide, Bierdz was nominated by his peers and selected by the editors of Out magazine and a prestigious panel of past VOX/ Out Award recipients. He will receive the VOX/ Out Emerging Voices of Style + Design Award at The Factory Los Angeles on August 23.

Bierdz’s work emerges from his personal journey and is at times heartbreaking, haunting and profoundly affecting. Bierdz began his career as an actor in Los Angeles in the late 1980s playing a character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Soon after he stopped portraying Phillip Chancellor III on one of daytime television’s most popular soap operas, Bierdz’s encountered a personal tragedy when his beloved mother was murdered at the hands of his paranoid schizophrenic brother. In 2000, another blow would enter the artist’s life when his older brother, in a paranoid depression, committed suicide.

These emotions were transferred onto canvas. His body of work is ultimately an uplifting and inspiring experience of transcendence, a compelling testimony of resilience of the human spirit. Contradictory strategies are Bierdz’s hallmark as his paintings prove cunningly hard to pin down. One painting might be purely decorative abstraction; another architectural interior or a figurative work. His arrangements of elements flip between symbolism, impressionism and abstract patterning. Bierdz’s work dares us to look at ourselves, and with a bold conviction and honesty, embrace who we are.

“Thom has triumphed over tragedy and uses his experiences as a platform to create truly unique works of art,” said Mary Therese Kraft, associate brand manager for VOX Vodka. “His work and his life story are inspirations to us all and VOX is pleased to recognize Thom for his visionary designs and talent.”

Recognized as the city’s premier emerging artist, Bierdz joins a prestigious list of VOX/ Out award winners and visionaries in the field of style and design. Previous VOX/ Out Voices of Style + Design Award recipients include Todd Oldham ( New York), Nate Berkus ( Chicago) and James Swan ( Los Angeles).
“We’re proud to honor Thom with the VOX/Out Emerging Voices of Style + Design Award, ” said Joe Landry, publisher of Out magazine. “When it comes to style and aesthetics, Out’s readers are passionate and extremely involved; Thom’s creativity and refreshing character are an inspiration.”

"I am thrilled to be receiving this prestigious award," said Bierdz. "Each painting I create is an earnest attempt to make sense out of the senseless; to make something beautiful out of something tragic. I have worked hard to build a name for myself and am honored to be recognized with this award by VOX Vodka and Out magazine.”

To contact Artist Thom Bierdz for an interview you can email him at rockitwriter@aol.com

To contact EXPOSED Studio & Gallery owner: 602-248-8030 gregg@exposedgallery.com

THOM BIERDZ EXPOSED