Tom Andries (1969) is a Belgian multidisciplinary designer and contemporary artist. His main body of work consists of abstract monochromes painted with black ink. Originally trained as a typographer and having made a generous career in graphic design and branding, Tom uncovers the hidden beauty of typography, by zooming in on its intrinsic abstract qualities. Inspired by minimalism, modernist painting and mid-century architecture, his work reflects an ongoing quest towards the absolute bare essence of art.
The proof is in the painting. The largest part of Tom’s work-process is absorbed by the meticulous preparation of a heavily texturized black ink – a mix of acrylic, Indian ink and charcoal – which he generated himself and has perfected over the years. The act of painting consists of but a few sudden and concise strokes of the heavy brush within a short frame of time, referencing to gesture painting. All is done in complete silence.
For the exhibition Hidden Landscapes of Letters, also the title of his monograph, Tom delves deeper into the very essence of typography: the grid. Every letter is shaped in relation to a certain framework. By using standard DIN paper A-formats and common canvas sizes, the work-field of the letter becomes even more part of the composition. Also for the first time, Tom has painted solely the grid and not the letter, wandering through the landscapes of pure form.
The text was provided by the gallery.
