Blog

Tom was a guest on Kansas City Live last week with hosts Michelle Davidson and Joel Nichols on KSHB 41 NBC Kansas City.  “Each week we highlight a local artist to get to know the person behind the art. Today we meet Tom Corbin, a self-taught sculptor and furniture designer from Kansas City. You’ve even seen his work all over...

Introducing Bodie…and his puppy sibling, Sister, the new canine muses and cuddly Corbin family members. Whether seated or standing, the new life-size Standard Poodle sculptures are full of youthful energy and perfect poodle poise. The first castings will be unveiling at Neocon 2018 The very definition of statuesque, Woman in Gown Tall, will command the room with her S curved...

Whether working in oils or acrylics, Tom is exploring new effects in applying and layering paint to canvas. Broad sweeping strokes evoke movement and gesture in nonobjective canvases like Crossroads and Wildflowers. Opaque shapes, arranged in a singular plane, create spatial tension in the formal composition of Harbour View            

Beginning with three thumbnail models, Tom envisioned “bowls” where the surface is elevated, adding height and shadow and dimension to table surfaces. Two designs were enlarged to scale and modeled with a rough texture in wax. The result is inspired and unique, both in surface quality and presence. Put something in them or not; they hold their own as art...

Taken literally, Girl on Canoe depicts a young woman piloting a canoe down a river or stream while simultaneously balancing herself against the currents and rough waters that surround her.  A metaphor for life, she is literally going with the flow, testing her ability to navigate her path without the help of the paddle she has in hand. Girl on Canoe...

Corbin’s new large-scale Ring sculptures captivate from all angles. Designed on site at the foundry, the Rings were combined to achieve both physical and visual balance with a combination of ovals and circles, in a range of sizes. Shifting weight, visual movement and rich patinas make these non-objective bronze works truly distinctive and original.  The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. Chronos referred to...

Pear as a Figure Tall Pared down and modern, Pear as a Figure Tall is the latest addition to Corbin’s collection of Tall Sculpture. The slight shoulder shift adds a subtle dynamism to this minimal figure. Sculpted in plaster, Tom exchanges his clay tools for hammer and chisel, achieving wholly different surface textures Pear as a Figure Tall Edition 60 73”H, 14”D, 10”W Bronze, black/brown...

The Female Nude is among one of the most celebrated genres in the history of art, alongside landscape, still life and portraiture. Reclining Nudes are seen in both sculpture and painting from the Renaissance to Modern and present day. Below is a sampling, including Tom Corbin’s newest limited edition sculpture, Reclining Nude II Reclining Nude II Edition 60 12”H, 8.25”D, 29.25”W Bronze,...

Tom Corbin was interviewed by Joel Nichols from KSHB for his late night program, Nichols at Night.  “Even in our fast-paced, digital age, there are few things better than a good conversation. That’s what Nichols@Night promises to bring you every week. Entertaining, interesting, thought-provoking talk from fascinating people. National figures passing through our town and local folks who make Kansas...

With his two-dimensional work, Corbin enjoys exploring genres ranging from photorealism to nonobjective and everything in between. Having painted for over 15 years, Tom’s signature artistic style emerges in new ways through his painting, some congruent with his sculptural work and some in contrast. He states “Though sculpture and furniture design still dominates my work schedule, the thought of my next painting is...

Beginning as studies for Corbin’s Tall Columns, the clay maquettes remained in the studio, providing inspiration with their verticality and animated silhouettes. Tom wanted to explore the idea of tabletop designs further and in doing so, sculpted a collection of eight designs, combining geometric shapes and contoured volumes. The compilation of forms, with four different patinas, will inspire installations that are both contemporary and artful, as well...

Corbin’s newest corporate commission,”Without Limits”, pays tribute to the transformation Tom McDonnell, retired CEO of DST,  contributed to in the revitalization of downtown Kansas City through DST and beyond. This 25-foot tall sculpture installation by Tom Corbin combines three life-size figures with stainless steel frames around a central steel post. The installation is available for public viewing at the corner of 11th...