Tom Colcord: The Fluidity of Perception -or- Being both the Cause and the Effect
Nov 21 - Jan 24 2026
- 6 days left
Artist Reception December 14, 2-5pm
Avenue 12 Gallery is excited to present a solo exhibition of Tom Colcord The Fluidity of Perception -or- Being both the Cause and the Effect
Fluidity of Perception refers to the “Landscape of the Mind.” These paintings are psychological landscapes that meditate on the subjectivity of our perceptions. Disparate landscape and interior elements are collaged to create a dreamlike space that is logical yet elusive. The result is a painting that features many landscape elements but is ultimately a psychological space in the midst of being edited. The landscape suggests vastness, fullness, and emptiness simultaneously.
“Ultimately the question I am exploring is: can I render how beliefs, memories, and ideas evolve? How can I capture, pictorially, the way my mind is putting together my reality?” - Tom Colcord
Tom Colcord is a painter and art educator based in San Francisco. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, he holds a BFA in Painting from Indiana University Bloomington and an MFA in Studio Art from the San Francisco Art Institute, two experiences that shaped both his technique and conceptual foundation. In 2021 he was awarded the Tournesol Award at the Headlands Center for the Arts, an honor that recognized his distinct contribution to contemporary painting.
Colcord is also a Plein Air painter, which refers to painting the landscape directly on location, without the mediation of photographs or references. It is fleeting, and often done with urgency, as the artist is also dealing with the changing light and weather.
“Exploring these two bodies of work together has allowed me the space to ponder perception from both an interior and exterior place. It is my understanding that “real” life is utilized in the mind as the raw basis that constitutes reality, yet what is filtered by the mind influences what is seen.” - Tom Colcord
