Exhibition Details
Tom Yost is a new breed of artist—a modern realist and non-conformist, a maverick willing to defy the prevailing reverence for abstraction and
conceptualism. Three years ago, he set out in search of a beautiful truth. His journey never took him far beyond his own backyard. Few artists
have ever so diligently mined the wonder of Connecticut’s shores. Yost has something important to share with us, which he communicates
through a visual poetry that straddles the divide between what he sees and what he feels.
Often unjustly accused of merely transcribing imagery, realists are among the most creative of all artists. They must possess a keen ability to observe and the intellectual capacity to determine the most compelling image. What is omitted from their compositions can have as great an impact as
what is shown. Their process includes careful adjustments to perspective and an understanding of the infinite variations of light and detail. They
temper color and command every stroke in a supreme creative effort to reveal an image and the impression it inspires in their minds. They strive
to maintain visual integrity while exposing a greater truth. The task is not a simple one, but Yost is near the apex of his powers and the thirty works found here are as much revelations as they are paintings.
Modern Perspectives
A fixture in rural Litchfield County since he relocated Yost Conservation there in 1999, Tom Yost has shifted his focus to the Connecticut coastline to develop this remarkable body of work. A painting conservator for over 30 years, Yost has repaired and restored paintings by American masters such as Thomas Cole, Sanford Robinson Gifford, and Childe Hassam. His deep knowledge of the painting techniques used by his renowned predecessors together with his training as a geologist—his field for a decade before he began pursuing his artistic passions—grant him a rare understanding of
different landscapes. Yost’s scientific studies of the earth and unique comprehension of both its permanence and vulnerability have enabled him to observe in a way that few can. Bringing a precision and sophistication to his compositions, Yost paints not just a place but an environment, adapting time-honored techniques used by the luminists, impressionists, and expressionists to form his unique version of realism. He finds beauty not just in objects, but also in voids and emptiness, with negative space often comprising the most important part of his vision. His paintings are serene and peaceful in their balance and precision, and his expertise with a brush is undeniable. Guided by the masters who were previously inspired by these beaches, such as John Frederick Kensett and John Henry Twachtman, and applying a modern and scientific understanding of the world around him, Tom Yost’s distinct style allows us to view these scenic shores with a fresh perspective.
Scroll down or click here to view all works in the exhibition.
AWARDS AND HONORS
January/February 2019
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Juried Members Show, second prize in painting for Constitution Marsh
July/August 2016
Litchfield Magazine, “Litchfield’s Most Influential 2016: The most influential, giving, talented, interesting people in Litchfield”
December 2009
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 40th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, first prize for Thunderhead, oil/acrylic award for Thunderhead
November 2007
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 38th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, first prize for Fields on Toplands Farm
October 2005
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Four Seasons of Flanders Benefit Gala, featured artist
April 2004
Chambers of the State Senate Majority Leader, Connecticut State Capitol Building, Hartford, Connecticut, solo exhibition, organized by Connecticut Arts Council
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, New York, New York, Tom Yost: At the Edge of Truth, May 11–June 2, 2018
Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, New York, New York, At the Threshold of a Dream, The Hudson River: Tom Yost, A Modern Realist, October 30–November 21, 2015
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, Tom Yost: A Modern Realist, May 15–September 27, 2015
Behnke-Doherty Gallery, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Captured Moments: Landscape Paintings by Tom Yost, September 2–November 11, 2012
Behnke-Doherty Gallery, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Light’s Subtle Touch: The Changing Seasons of the Litchfield Hills, Landscape Paintings by Tom Yost, November 5–December 19, 2010
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Autumn 2008 Solo Exhibition, Featuring Original Paintings by Tom Yost, September 5–October 22, 2008
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Local Horizons: New Works by Tom Yost, April 1–May 16, 2006
Chambers of the State Senate Majority Leader, Connecticut State Capitol Building, Hartford, Connecticut, organized by Connecticut Arts Council, April 2004
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Recent Work, March 6–28, 2004
Minor Memorial Library, Roxbury, Connecticut, Diverse Landscapes: Winter in Roxbury, Summer in Abiquiu, October 5–November 14, 2002
Carole Peck’s Good News Cafe Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Atmosphere and Light, May–June 1996
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Juried Members Show, January 11–February 20, 2020 (second prize in painting)
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, The Nor’easter 49th Annual Juried Exhibition, June 22–July 14, 2019
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Juried Members Show, January 26–March 1, 2019
Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, Connecticut, New England Landscape Invitational, September 26–November 7, 2014
Kent Art Association, Connecticut, President’s Show, July 21–September 2, 2013
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 40th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, December 20, 2009– January 3, 2010 (first prize; oil/acrylic award)
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 39th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, November 2008
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 38th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, November 2007 (first prize)
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut, The Connecticut Vision 2004, September–November 2004
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Bonhams, New York, New York, American Art, November 19, 2019
Argazzi Art, Lakeville, Connecticut, Holiday Exhibition, December 1, 2018–January 20, 2019
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, Connecticut, Exhibition and Sale of Fine American and European Paintings, Drawings, Prints, and Sculpture, April 16–26, 2018
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut, Splendor Gala, October 21, 2017
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut, First Look/New to the Collection, March 26–May 14, 2017
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 14th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2014
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 13th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2013
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, Connecticut, Exhibition and Sale of Fine American and European Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture, April 15–25, 2013
The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut, At Our Best: An Exhibition and Sale of Paintings by Connecticut Artists, 1830–2013, February–March 30, 2013
The Cooley Gallery, Norwalk, Connecticut, Fairfield Antique Show, December 1–2, 2012
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 12th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2012
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, Connecticut, Exhibition and Sale of Fine American and European Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture and Prints, October 17–27, 2011
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 11th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2011
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Lake Waramaug Observed, August–September 2010
Minor Memorial Library, Roxbury, Connecticut, Images of the Roxbury Land Trust, June–July 2010
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 10th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2010
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, Connecticut, Exhibition and Sale of Fine American and European Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture, April 12–29, 2010
Owen Gallery, West Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13–26, 2010
The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut, Holiday Exhibition, December 2009
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, 9th Annual ART Party of the Year Spring Gala, May 2009
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Greenwich, Connecticut, Exhibition and Sale of Fine American and European Paintings, Drawings, Prints, and Sculpture, October 27, 2008
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Flanders Benefit Auction, October 2008
The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut, 19th Annual Holiday Exhibition, November 2007–January 2008
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Flanders Benefit Auction, October 2007
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Black Tie, November 2006–January 2007
The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut, 18th Annual Holiday Exhibition, November 2006–January 2007
Booth Free School, Roxbury, Connecticut, Fall 2006 Auction, September 2006
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Black Tie, November 2005–January 2006
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Four Seasons of Flanders Benefit Gala, October 2005 (featured artist)
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, Black Tie, November 2004–January 2005
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Flanders Benefit Auction, October 2004
P. H. Miller Studio & Gallery, Woodbury, Connecticut, The Modern Landscape, May–June 2004
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, Woodbury, Connecticut, Flanders Benefit Auction, October 2003
Potter & Slack Fine Arts, New Preston, Connecticut, Winter in August, August–September 2003
Washington Art Association, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Members Show, April 2003
Potter & Slack Fine Arts, New Preston, Connecticut, Winter in August, August–September 2002
Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, New York, Landscapes, August 1997
Holland and Wilson Fine Art, Bedford, New York, May–June 1997
PUBLICATIONS
Tom Yost: At the Edge of Truth (New York: Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, 2018).
“Litchfield’s Most Influential 2016: The most influential, giving, talented, interesting people in Litchfield,” Litchfield Magazine (July/August 2016).
At the Threshold of a Dream, The Hudson River: Tom Yost, A Modern Realist (New York: Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, 2015).
Tom Yost: A Modern Realist, Paintings of the Litchfield Hills, 2000–2014, intr. by Douglas K. S. Hyland (New Britain, CT: New Britain Museum of American Art, 2015).
“Tom Yost’s ‘Captured Moments’ at Behnke-Doherty Gallery, Washington, CT,” The Country and Abroad (September/October 2012).
Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Yost Offers Wintry Balm with Summery Paintings,” Republican-American, September 28, 2011.
“Tom Yost’s Landscape Paintings at Behnke-Doherty Gallery in Washington Depot, CT,” The Country and Abroad (winter 2010 – 2011).
Jaime Ferris, “New Show: Landscapes by Tom Yost,” Litchfield County Times, November 12, 2010.
“Tom Yost: On the Edge,” American Art Collector (November 2010): 158.
Jack Coraggio, “Yost’s Neighborly Visions,” Litchfield County Times Magazine (September 2008).
Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Tom Yost,” Connecticut Magazine (April 2008).
Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Get Real: Roxbury’s Tom Yost Has Mastered a Higher Level of Truth in His Most Recent Works,” Republican-American, April 9, 2006.
“Destination Woodbury: Tom Yost’s Work as a Conservator of Famous American Art Brings a Classic Feel and Longevity to His Paintings,” American Art Collector (April 2006).
Jaime Ferris, “Local Horizons: Roxbury Painter, Tom Yost to Open Show of New Works in Woodbury,” Litchfield County Times, March 24, 2006.
Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Study in Contrast,” Antiques and The Arts Weekly, September 16, 2004.
Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Broken, Now Whole,” Republican-American, May 20, 2004.
David Lombino, “Apprentice No Longer: Lessons from Restorations Fuel Roxbury Artist’s Work,” Litchfield County Times, October 4, 2002.
COLLECTIONS
Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut
Minor Memorial Library, Roxbury, Connecticut
New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut
Private collections
Town of Roxbury, Connecticut
Also on view, The American Masters. Click here to learn more.