Tom Otterness
Biography
Tom Otterness was born in 1952 in Wichita, Kansas and is an American sculptor whose works adorn many parks, plazas, subway stations, libraries, courthouses and museums in New York and other cities around the world.
His style is often described as cartoonish and cheerful while also alluding to political issues. Otterness' sculptures are filled with multiple meanings and refer to sex, class, money and race. These sculptures depict, among other things, huge pennies, pudgy characters in business suits with moneybag heads, helmeted workers holding giant tools, and an alligator crawling out from under a sewer cover. Emphasis seems to be placed upon the concept of the struggle of a little man up against the capitalist machine in a difficult and strange city. His aesthetic can be seen as a riffs on capitalist realism and blends both high and low dichotomies.
Known primarily as a public artist, Otterness has exhibited in popular exhibitions in locations across the United States and around the world, including New York City, Indianapolis, Beverly Hills, the Hague, Munich, Paris, Valencia and Venice. His studio is located in the Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Gallery Exhibitions
Tom Otterness, Recent Sculpture: Several Strange Objects - September 9 - October 9, 2004
Artist Publications
Tom Otterness: Gold Rush, New Sculpture and Drawings, Tom Otterness
Press
A Fractured Fairy Tale Set on Broadway, New York Times Download PDF (64 K)
Where Creative Heat Meets Molten Metal, New York Times Download PDF (4.9 MB)
Selected Works
Tom Otterness Ballerina and Tin Soldier with Two Hearts, 2005 bronze 16 3/4 x 30 5/8 x 6 1/8 inches AP 3/3
Tom Otterness Building Blocks, 2007 bronze 11 x 4 x 5 1/2 inches ed. 2/9
Tom Otterness Woman with Oil Barrel, 2007 bronze 13 x 6 x 9 inches ed. 1/9