Tom Pfannerstill - "One Man Group Show"

Several years ago I wandered into Galerie Hertz and found myself looking at work by local artist Tom Pfannerstill. At first, I must admit that I was not sure what I was looking at. An empty pack of cigarettes, a crushed paper cup from McDonalds, and other assorted trash that simply appeared to reflect refuse of the over-commercialized society in which we exist. Perhaps a nice sentiment, but one that I had seen many times before. This is an all too common initial perception of Tom’s work and I had fallen into the same trap that most viewers stumble through. In reality, there is no crushed paper cup. What there is however is an intricately hand carved and meticulously painted sculpture that exactly mimics any common item that one might see discarded on sidewalks or rustling through city streets.  When I say exactly, that’s precisely what I mean; they are exact!

In the last few years I have seen countless people walk right past these incredible pieces only to then ask “Where can I find Tom Pfannerstill’s art?” Perhaps this is the peril of creating work that mirrors its subjects so accurately. However, no artist should have to excuse his or her work on the basis that it was created too well. While Tom’s work might be all too quickly missed, his level of talent is not. On the contrary, once the viewer has been educated as to the process of creating these wonderful pieces Tom’s work then becomes as thunderous as a runaway freight train screaming through a dark tunnel. The first question the viewer then asks is “Who is this guy?”

Tom Pfannerstill is an artist whose work has been shown in galleries from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to New Britain, Connecticut. His collectors span from London to Bellarmine University right here in Louisville, and he is the recipient of numerous awards including the AI Smith Individual Artist Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. More importantly, Tom is an artist whose impressive career has been documented for decades. While Tom understands the ever changing criteria of the art world, his emphasis is always primarily on the art. Tom writes in his artist statement “I am not particularly money-motivated or unduly influenced by the lure of sales, so I feel free to experiment with new concepts and ways of working and follow them as long as it is interesting”. With this philosophy firmly in hand, he then sets about creating work that is truly unique. Tom once stated “After seeing the work, many people have told me that they, too, began to notice interesting pieces of street trash. The fact that this work can slightly alter a person’s perceptions, (even if only for a short time), open their eyes, or make them view reality in a slightly different way is a very important aspect of what I do.” An artist can rarely ask for anything more than that.

Tom Pfannerstill’s show “One man group show” is now on display at Galerie Hertz and will run through Dec.31^st. Gallery Hertz is located at 1253 S. Preston. For more info call Galerie Hertz at 502-635-3727.