Toby Corbett

Born in London England. Raised in the Pacific Northwest. Studio in Los Angeles, California.

The work of Jacob Lawrence, my mentor at the University of Washington, has had a lasting affect upon my art practice. Lawrence's consuming interest in narrative, and his flattened and abstracted treatment of realistic subject matter were profound influences on my early development as a painter. In my own art practice I strive to create a balance between the representational and the abstract within the context of a specific subject or theme.
A recent installation of paintings, Criminals of the Ukraine, is representative of this attitude. The balance between the abstract background and the figurative foreground highlights the extreme emotional state brought about by the rough interrogation of individuals for past crimes. The representational image anchors the painting while the abstracted shapes, forms, and colors allow the viewer the freedom to expand their own emotional response to each painting and the group as a whole. This installation is also indicative of my reliance upon photographic source material. A specific photo or photos may be the catalyst for a painting as in the Criminals installation, or photos may help reinforce a con...

University of Washington

Solo Exhibitions

Criminals of the Ukraine
deb3321
Los Angeles, CA

Disruptive Patterns
HBO Art Gallery
Santa Monica, CA

Debris
HBO Art Gallery
Santa Monica, CA

Revolution and Revival
Furthermore Gallery
Los Angeles, CA

Paintings and Drawings
Creative Arts Center
Burbank, CA

Group Exhibitions

Small Wonders lll
Pharmaka
Los Angeles. CA

Night of a Thousand Drawings
Artist Space
New York, NY

Coopper Union Summer Residency
New York, NY

Suite-C Gallery
West Hollywood, CA

Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts
Curator: Maria-Christina Villasenor, Associate Curator, Guggenheim Museum, New York

Sylvia White Gallery
Santa Monica, CA

Gallery 835
Los Angeles, CA

Westworks
Peck Gallery
Riverton, WY

Residency
Cooper Union Painting and Drawing Summer Residency
New York, NY