Tim Cantor
Tim Cantor (Born August 10, 1969) is an American self-taught surrealism artist and writer. Tim was raised in Novato, California and began painting at the age of 5 using a box of oil paints and brushes that were his grandfather's. Tim's grandfather was the English Artist, Llyod Whiffen. His first oil painting was created at the age of 5. When Tim was 15 he was given his first gallery exhibition where one of his paintings was acquired to hang in the White House. Tim has since had exhibitions in Athens, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Venice, New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco. He currently has galleries in both San Diego and Sausalito, California which are dedicated to his vision and his art.
Works
Tim Cantor paints in oils on a variety of different surfaces. He learned on his own since early childhood, almost exclusively in oils however he often uses other media such as watercolor and charcoal to create studies for larger compositions. Tim has a traditional style using brushes and paint and utilizes no tools or devices in his work.
Many of his works are based on his own fictional and non-fictional stories and poetry. These stories, he says, mostly come to him during the long process of creating the paintings. Tim's art has been critisized for his lack of one common style to obtain recognition. Tim believes this is "as a compliment", claiming that he wants his art to be "diverse" and to show a "variety of styles and imagery that define the mental states of particular moment in his life".
Exhibitions
Tim Cantor began showing his paintings professionally at the age of 15 when he was honored with the Bank of America achievement in arts award. At his first show, Senator Barbara Boxer presented the award and then chose a painting to hang in the White House. The early publicity created a demand for his work. After finishing high school in Marin County he began traveling and exhibiting his paintings in galleries and open air events throughout the Western United States. After seven years on the road he decided to display his paintings exclusively in fine art galleries and museums and then in 2000, Tim Cantor established Ashby Galleries. Ashby Galleries and Ashby and Alfred publications are devoted exclusively to Tim Cantor and display his work year-round. One of Tim Cantor's paintings is in the permanent collection of the White House and well-known collectors of his work include Terrence Howard and Robert De Niro.
Publications and Media
In 1998 a video interview was created by Corbus about Tim Cantor and his life and work. Tim was interviewed in San Francisco by Corky Engel [1]. The interview was titled "The Power of Imagination" and can still be viewed on YouTube via the Corbas channel. After establishing Ashby Galleries and Ashby and Alfred Publications, Tim published a book in 2005 titled, "The Art of Tim Cantor".