Thomas L. Pyrzewski (at6531)
University information
Contact information
Department of Art, Art History, and Design
Tom Pyrzewski was born in Detroit, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College for Creative Studies (CCS) and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University (WSU), Detroit. Since 2010, he has served as the Director of Galleries and Special Programming at WSU.
Tom has juried, curated, and installed over 200 exhibitions with works by local, national, and international artists at WSU’s Art Department Gallery and Elaine L. Jacob Gallery. He has also curated site-specific installations with programming at external venues, including at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the McGregor Memorial Conference Center, WSU. Tom has developed and currently teaches a gallery management course at WSU and has established and coordinates MOBILE ARTS - a summer community art workshop program for youth in partnership with the City of Detroit.
He is the co-founder of art and hip-hop collective SUPERIORBELLY (1999-2010; 2017-present), an unconventional interactive experience through net art, music, and writing. Members include Jason Nosaj Furlow, New Kingdom, NYC; Eulas Pizarro, PACE, NYC; Beverly Fresh (Zack Ostrowski), DePaul University, Chicago; and Tom Pyrzewski, Wayne State University, Detroit.
Tom’s artwork has been juried and curated into numerous exhibition venues including: N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Marshall M Fredericks Sculpture Museum, and CCS Center Galleries - receiving a Best of Show Award for his sculpture in Review: CCS Alumni Selections by Syd Mead. His large-scale outdoor sculptures are featured at Lincoln Street Art Park, Detroit and permanently installed on the campus of St. Clair County Community College, Port Huron, MI, through a commission, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Artist Statement
Discarded objects with curves and diagonals are collected – natural deadfall and human-made. Bend, cut and assemble - the armature is constructed. Muscle is applied, similar to a body. Cloth that has been soaked in paint is placed onto the structure, providing durability, skin, and color.
Resonance from the objects influence application and determine the overall composition, often described as visceral. The sculpture is organic in form but contains mostly industrial materials within. This attribute implies an interconnection between humanity and nature, aiming to reverse memes associated with function.
The form isn’t specific in content, yet tangible enough to provoke a response from the viewer, whose experiential reaction plays an integral role in completing the sculpture. Along with the viewer’s interpretation, connotations embedded in the materials are combined with the working process and a collaborative formulation is conceived.
To learn more of Tom's work visit:
- BFA from College for Creative Studies
- MFA from Wayne State University
