Stephen Tompkins
Encyclopedia
Stephen Tompkins is an American artist, animator, and composer based in Southern California
. He grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio
, near Cleveland. His work is associated with the 'Hardcore' Pop Surrealism
movement
Tompkins' work has been exhibited in numerous galleries throughout the United States and Europe since 1997. His work was exhibited in BLK/MRKT Gallery's Artist Annual in 2007.
His work has been exhibited alongside such artists as Daniel Johnston
(in Austin, Texas
) in a two-man exhibit titled "The Art of Daniel Johnston and Stephen Tompkins" and Ron English and Steven Hopwood-Lewis ("Melodic Inversions & Contrary Motions" exhibition in Dallas).
His work has appeared in publications including LA Weekly
, Raw Vision Magazine, Monopol Magazin, New American Paintings and Juxtapoz. Some of his work was published in the book BLK/MRKT TWO by Die Gestalten Verlag and in Year One Rewind, a survey of urban and graffiti art by Last Gasp Press
.
His animated short, Gummymorph, appears in the film Freak Out in Cucamonga, a documentary about the early studio years of Frank Zappa
. In February 2009, he released a Digital-8 collection of 13 music videos that he directed, filmed and produced of Daniel Johnston
filmed in Johnston's hometown of Waller, Texas
. The videos and MP3s were released as digital downloads under the name "Daniel Johnston at Home LIVE."
He acted as an EMT in the Werner Herzog
film My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
In December 2009, he was nominated as a composer for a Maverick Movie Award in the short film category for "Best Original Score"
Tompkins was recently nominated for the 2010 San Diego Art Prize Award by curator Robin Clark, PhD of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
and his work was selected to be part of the MCASD exhibit "Here Not There" which opened in June 2010
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. He grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio
Avon Lake, Ohio
Avon Lake is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,145 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Avon Lake is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, near Cleveland. His work is associated with the 'Hardcore' Pop Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
movement
Tompkins' work has been exhibited in numerous galleries throughout the United States and Europe since 1997. His work was exhibited in BLK/MRKT Gallery's Artist Annual in 2007.
His work has been exhibited alongside such artists as Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
(in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
) in a two-man exhibit titled "The Art of Daniel Johnston and Stephen Tompkins" and Ron English and Steven Hopwood-Lewis ("Melodic Inversions & Contrary Motions" exhibition in Dallas).
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
, Raw Vision Magazine, Monopol Magazin, New American Paintings and Juxtapoz. Some of his work was published in the book BLK/MRKT TWO by Die Gestalten Verlag and in Year One Rewind, a survey of urban and graffiti art by Last Gasp Press
Last Gasp
Last Gasp is a book and underground comix publisher and distributor based in San Francisco, California.- History :Founded in 1970 by Ron Turner to publish the ecologically-themed comics magazine Slow Death Funnies, followed by the all-female anthology It Ain't Me Babe, Last Gasp soon became a major...
.
His animated short, Gummymorph, appears in the film Freak Out in Cucamonga, a documentary about the early studio years of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. In February 2009, he released a Digital-8 collection of 13 music videos that he directed, filmed and produced of Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
filmed in Johnston's hometown of Waller, Texas
Waller, Texas
Waller is a city in Texas, United States, partly in Waller County and partly in Harris County within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 2,092 at the 2000 census. The Waller area is located along U.S. Highway 290 forty-one miles northwest of Downtown...
. The videos and MP3s were released as digital downloads under the name "Daniel Johnston at Home LIVE."
He acted as an EMT in the Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
film My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? is a film directed by Werner Herzog and produced by David Lynch, inspired by the story of murderer Mark Yavorsky...
In December 2009, he was nominated as a composer for a Maverick Movie Award in the short film category for "Best Original Score"
Tompkins was recently nominated for the 2010 San Diego Art Prize Award by curator Robin Clark, PhD of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego , in San Diego, California, USA, is an art museum focused on the collection, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art from 1950 to the present.-History:...
and his work was selected to be part of the MCASD exhibit "Here Not There" which opened in June 2010