Folkart
A scavenger living in Coconut Grove, Florida, Tom Grasse spends his spare time numb and as unproductive as possible. Having never sold a single piece of his material, he was once asked the price of "Have It Your Way" by a gentleman of good taste wishing to possess the fast food-inspired creation. Tom suggested $800. Later, Tom was told that the would-be buyer dismissed the idea, exclaiming, "Who does he think he is, Picasso?" Somehow, Tom was flattered.
Tom's uncle, Max Spivak, inspired him to try mosaic art. Spivak was a muralist and painter seen here, standing in front of his mosaic at 5 Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan.
Corroded metal, which Tom finds plentiful in Miami, tends to be the dominant medium in his pieces, like this one, "Tricentennial" - America on its 300th birthday.
Tom admires the works of rural Georgia preacher Howard Finster. Finster took up art after seeing a vision in a paint splotch on his finger and heard the Lord tell him to "paint sacred art."
Studio - Yacht Harbour, 2901 S. Bayshore Dr. Coconut Grove, FL
