The
Artwork of Tomasz Rut in the Vatican Collection!
On Wednesday, October 12,
2011 during Tomasz Rut's audience
with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, attended
by thousands of spectators from around the world at the
St. Peter's square in the Vatican, two
large paintings by Tomasz Rut became part of the collection
at St. Peter's cathedral after being blessed by the Holy
Father.
Tomasz
Rut - The Artwork of Tomasz Rut in the Vatican Collection (back
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On Wednesday, October 12,
2011 during the artist's audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict
XVI, attended by thousands of spectators from around the world
at the St. Peter's square in the Vatican, two large paintings
by Tomasz Rut entered the St. Peter's cathedral after being
blessed by the Holy Father.
Painted earlier this year to commemorate the beatification
of John Paul II, the two originals on canvas: "Nolite
Timere" & "Be Not Afraid" pay tribute to
the beloved late Pope and depict John Paul II as the Saint
and as the charismatic leader of the world accompanied by
another legendary figure behind the political changes of the
twentieth century, the first President of democratic Poland,
Lech Walesa.
During his meeting with Pope
Benedict, Tomasz presented him also with the book recently
published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana featuring the third
of his series of “Nolite Timere” paintings honoring
Pope John Paul II and President Lech Walesa.
“I am deeply moved and still
overwhelmed by the experience”, humbly says Tomasz Rut,
already considered as one of the most collectible contemporary
artists: “To see my paintings in the company of Michelangelo,
Rafael and all the other great names who have led, defined
and inspired our culture for hundreds of years is the greatest
honor and acknowledgment I could hope for.”
The two original paintings owned by
the Vatican and blessed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI,
are being released as limited edition prints, signed and numbered
by the Artist.
The art of Tomasz Rut, recently included in the Vatican Collection
and blessed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, continues to
expand the realm of contemporary figurative painting to the
limits achieved only by the greatest art masters in history.
Evoking the passion of
Michelangelo, the subtlety of Caravaggio and the flamboyance
of Rubens, Tomasz Rut, also named one of the most collectible
contemporary artists by Robb Report’s Best of the Best,
resurrects the dormant classical tradition of painting in
a XXI century tribute to the perseverance of the human ability
and spirit, which transcends the ebbs and flows of modern
fashions.
Inherent in all of Tomasz Rut’s
original oils on canvas, ranging from large scale dramatic
allegories to small, sensuous studies, is the artificial patina
he adds on surface to create an illusion of an old fresco
and accentuate the timeless subject matter. “By this
juxtaposition of spiritual versus physical, I hope to convey
the quality that transcends time and suggests the eternal
nature of our ethical struggle for survival”, says Tomasz,
“Hence, beauty and decay, creation and destruction as
the woof and warp of my canvases".
Conceived during the XVII Olympic
Games in Rome, Italy, at the Olympic village by Tadeusz Rut,
an Olympic athlete and medalist, and his wife, Wanda, an artist
and art teacher, Tomasz was born in Poland in 1961 and displayed
his extraordinary talent since early childhood.
At the age of eleven, his first drawings,
collected by his mother; frequently from his school notebooks
in lieu of good school grades; were exhibited at a solo gallery
show, receiving a write-up in Warsaw Daily. Even at that early
stage, young Tomasz’s exploration, often satirical,
of humanity and his search for an artistic expression, echoing
a variety of familiar modern renditions and classical themes,
is abundantly clear.
Interestingly, apart from his prominent,
mainstream realistic form of capturing his subject matter,
TR never abandoned “frivolous”, abstract experimentation
and satire, as evidenced in a multitude of private sketches
and drawings he continues to amuse himself with in his spare
time.
In his twenties, TR extensively pursued
formal art studies. He attended Pratt Institute in New York,
but despite the recognition of the Presidents list, he chose
to investigate the purely technical aspect of art, graduating
with a Master’s Degree in Art Conservation from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In the course of his studies,
he became intimately familiar with all traditional easel and
mural painting techniques, including varieties of oil and
fresco, and gained a profound knowledge of art history and
understanding of it's styles.
While continually drawing and painting
in search of a definitive form of expression, upon returning
to settle in the U.S., Tomasz briefly employed his skills
working for Biltmore House in Asheville, NC and on several
mural conservation projects throughout the Eastern U.S., which
included the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
D.C., the State Capitol in Trenton, N.J., Vizcaya Museum in
Miami, FL and the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL.
Within the following few years, his
attention shifted to executing large scale decorative projects
with many well known interior designers for numerous prominent
Palm Beach and South Beach estates in Florida. “I must
say I was quite taken by the splendor, aesthetic challenge
and vast scale of some projects”, recalls Tomasz: “It
took one year, eight assistants and approximately half a million
dollars worth of 24 Karat gold leaf alone to turn one of the
estates into a trompe l’oeil (deceive the eye) European
palace”. “After this, I knew I could paint anything,
in any style, anywhere, with anything and on anything”,
he adds jokingly, but not without merit.
Finding and formulating his own distinctive
style and method of painting in the early 1990s, Tomasz gradually
abandoned commissioned work and devoted himself fully to painting
in his studio. “Before I even had a collection of paintings
to speak of”, Tomasz says: “A British art publisher
grabbed the few pieces I had laying around and introduced
me to the idea and market of limited edition prints. My work
was very well received and, shortly, appeared in many galleries
on land and on cruise ships, marketed by my exclusive agents
and publishers”.
In 1999 Robb Report’s Best of
the Best issue named Tomasz Rut as one of the most collectible
contemporary artists, among such names as Botero, Chihuly,
Hockney, and Clemente. After many years of being represented
exclusively by others, Tomasz Rut is now marketing and selling
his artwork independently, enjoying direct and personal contact
with galleries and collectors.
On October 12, 2011 during the artist’s
audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, two large original
paintings by Tomasz Rut officially entered St. Peter’s
Cathedral becoming part of the Vatican collection.
Today he paints and sculpts in his
studio in Hollywood, FL, a large extension of his home, which
he designed and built. Tomasz's home studio has been showcased
in Florida Design Magazine. Among other creative hobbies,
Tomasz enjoys working in his garden and gourmet cooking, featured
in Miami Herald.He has hosted several collectors events at
his house, personally taking his guests on the tours of his
studio and entertaining them with food and wine from in own
kitchen.
Tomasz
Rut paintings are included in the following private collections
and museums:
•His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI / The Vatican Collection
•Alexander Brest Museum,
FL
•Mississipi Museum of Art, MS
•Coral Springs Museum of Art, FL
•The Shacknow Museum of Art, FL
•Wake Forest University, NC
•Mobile Museum of Art, AL
•Ziegler Museum of Art, LO
•Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, PA
•Frye Museum of Art, WA
•Colony Hotel, Palm Beach, FL
•President Lech Walesa
•Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah
•Sylvester Stallone / Actor
•Kirstie Alley / Actress
•Nicolette Sheridan / Actress
•Scott Stapp / Vocalist
•Bob Turley / Baseball Player
•Aubrey Huff / Baseball Player
•Wayae Huizenga / Owner Miami Dolphins
•Gianni Versace / Designer
•Richard Himmel / Designer
•William Eubanks / Designer
•Tui Pranich / Designer
•Scott Snyder / Designer
•Lady Blanka Rosenstiel / Philanthropist
•Countess Barbara Pagowska-Cooper / Philanthropist
•Abraham Gosman / Businessman
•Melvin Simon / Businessman
•Gilbert Lehrmann / Businessman
•Martin Gruss / Businessman
•Alvin Malnik / Businessman
•Norman Brinker / Businessman
•Thomas Kramer / Developer
•Bob Schultz / Author
Gallery/Mailing address
- 61 Wooleys Lane, Great Neck, NY 11023 • 707-332-6254 •
Gallery Location (by appointment only) - 8678 Melrose Ave. • West
Hollywood, CA. 90069