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?" In some strange way, 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
