ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tom Carey was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Wayne State University in 1996, and a Master in Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2000. While working on his MFA, Tom began making relief prints, often incorporating them into large collaged paintings. Relief printmaking and drawing have been the focus of Tom’s studio practice since then. His work has been shown in galleries in New York City, Philadelphia, and Detroit. In addition to print editions, Tom has also incorporated his relief prints in unique handmade books, and hand printed covers to photo copied art zines. One of Tom’s hand made books is in the Print Collection of the New York Public Library. As an extension of the wood cut process, Tom began making, and performing with, shadow puppets in 2007. These original shadow puppet performances have been featured in shows at a variety of venues including the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and Issue Project Room in Brooklyn, New York.
Current Vitae
Education
MFA, Painting and Printmaking, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
PA, 2000
BFA, Studio Art with a concentration in Painting, Wayne State University, Detroit MI,
1996
One Person Shows
"Iguana House", Aquarium Gallery at the Ann Arbor Art Center, July 2017
"Shadows in the Mummy's Tomb", Elements Gallery at the Detroit Artist Market, Detroit MI, 2016
“Music in Heaven and Magic on Earth”, shadow puppet installation, Ann Arbor Film Festival, March 2016
“Scary Monsters”, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester MI, 2008
“Rusty Nail Studio, Works on Paper 2000-2007”, University Liggett School Gallery, Grosse Pointe MI, 2007
“Populist Mechanics”, Alley Culture, Detroit MI, 2002
“Hallucination Warehouse”, University City Arts League, Philadelphia PA, 2000
Selected Group Exhibitions
“The Lamb Cake Show”, Hoofprint Gallery, Chicago IL, 2024
“Two by Two”, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia PA, 2022
“Hillbilly Headshop”, curated by Gary Panter and Byron Coley, Rozz Tox Art, Florence MA, 2019
“Punk House”, Mike Kelley Homestead at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 2017
“Text Image", Ann Arbor Art Center, 2017
“Chasing Posada”, Signal-Return, Detroit MI, 2014 and Spudnik Press Chicago ILL. 2015
"Explorations in Space-Time”, Popps Packing, Hamtramck MI, 2014
“In Print”, University of Michigan Work Gallery, Detroit MI, 2014
“First Contact”, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, 2012
“Hungry For Death”, travelling retrospective of material by the Destroy All Monsters Collective. Printed Matter NYC; White Flag Projects St. Louis MO; 0047 Exhibitions Oslo Norway; Space Gallery London UK; American Academy in Rome; AMP Gallery, Athens Greece; Galerie Du Jour Agnes B., Paris France, 2009-2011
“Something Different”, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit MI, 2009
“Race”, curated by Peter Williams, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor MI, 2009
“Uneasy”, Paint Creek Center of the Arts, Rochester MI, 2008
“Three the Hard Way” three person exhibition with Dennis Jones and Topher Crowder, Zeitgeist Gallery, Detroit MI, 2008
“Noise Putty”, two person show with Jimbo Easter, BookBeat Gallery, Oak Park MI, 2006
“Drawing Into Painting”, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor MI, 2006
“Works on Paper 2001”, curated by Thelma Golden, Arcadia University, Glenside PA, 2001
“Tom + Tomo”, (two person show) Spector Gallery, Philadelphia PA, 2001
“Fresh Blood”, curated by Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Shelly Spector, Painted Bride
Art Center, Philadelphia PA, 2000
“The Linen Show”, Willis Gallery, Detroit MI, 1996
Shadow Puppet Performances
“Pirate Utopia”, New Center Park, Detroit MI, 2023
“Detroit Puppet Slam”, Carrie Morris Productions, 2020 and 2021
“Drunk Driver”, collaboration with Dan Tower, Motor City Muscle Music Festival, Hart Plaza, Detroit MI, 2018
“Divine Horsemen”, Benefit for Carrie Morris Productions, Jam Handy, Detroit MI, 2018
“Popol Vuh Part One”, Popp’s Packing, Hamtramck MI, 2018
"Forced Labor", collaboration with Emilia Javanica, Light Box, Detroit MI, 2017
“The Death of the Last Tree”, Carrie Morris Arts Productions, Detroit MI, 2016; DLectricity 2021
“Thoth in the Kaleidoscope UFO”, Detroit Institute of the Arts 2012, Popp's Packing Hamtramck MI 2014, and Ann Arbor Film Festival March 2016
“Legend of Mothman/Spookhaus Apocalypse”, collaboration with Cary Loren, performed at the Detroit Institute of the Arts, 2013, Issue Project Room Brooklyn NY 2014, and Trinosophes Detroit MI 2015
“The Outer Limits”, Carrie Morris Arts Productions, Detroit MI, part of Porous Borders Festival 2015
“Mama 3 Eyes”, Detroit Institute of the Arts, part of Dlectricity, 2012 and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, part of Detroit Brain Frame, 2013
“Yaga Baba”, Detroit Institute of the Arts, part of Dlectricity, 2012
“Morning Star”, Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, Detroit MI, 2011
“Rehearsal for the Destruction of Mu”, collaboration with Cary Loren, performed at UFO Factory, Zeitgeist Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit MI 2008
Public Collections
New York Public Library Print Collection, New York NY
Ann Arbor District Library Circulating Art Collection, Ann Arbor MI
Publications
“Punk House”, edited by Cary Loren, MOCAD, Detroit MI, 2017
“World War 3 Illustrated #48: Fight Fascism”, WW3 Inc., NY NY, 2017
“American Flytrap #1 (the post-truth issue) and #2 (the gun issue)”, Rotland Press, Detroit MI, 2017 and 2018
“Chasing Posada: A Macabre Populist in the City”, edited by Ryan Standfest, Rotland Press, Detroit MI, 2014
Videos
“Last Girl”, music by Cathedral Sound, limited web release Halloween 2014
“Cuerno de Chivo”, presented as part of the panel ‘J.G. Posada and Macabre Populism in Print’, chaired by Ryan Standfest for the 2014 Mid-West Print Conference at Wayne State University, 2014
“Black Metal/White Faces”, collaboration with Dan Tower, made for the Race Show (curated by Peter Williams) at Gallery Project Ann Arbor MI 2009