Poser’s Decoy

A former resident of Sedalia, Missouri, Thomas now serves as the Director of the Library Art Gallery on campus at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. He is also an Instructor of Art at the college. In 1998 he was included in Who?s Who Among American Teachers. His art can be found in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the United States. In the early 90’s Thomas underwent several major surgeries that greatly affected him and had a major influence on his work. While enduring his own medical hardships Thomas also suffered the loss of an uncle whom he had a close relationship with. At this time he became interested in biotechnology and questioned the benefits and drawbacks of extending life and the quality of life through medical intervention. He admits he still remains very interested in this topic and continues reading books on the subject. Thomas has always liked drawing and painting heads. He recalls that in Dance the head relates to technological issues since he had recently undergone kidney transplant surgery. It asks questions about our relationship with technology and our increasing reliance on it. The arrangement of various objects on the border compliment this interesting work. Thomas states that, ?interpretation of his heads may vary because his intent is to allow the viewer to discover on his own what his intent may be or make up their own narrative or even create a completely new meaning.