The Life and Training of Tomory Dodge

Born Jason Tomory Dodge on December 23, 1974, in Denver, Colorado, the artist is the son of David C. Dodge and Madeleine Dodge. His early years in the United States preceded a formal education in the fine arts. In 1997, while studying, he participated in the European Honors Program in Rome, Italy. This period in Rome came before he moved toward completing his undergraduate studies.

He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. Following his time in Providence, he moved toward graduate studies. It was during his time at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California, that he began using the name Tomory Dodge. He completed his Master of Fine Arts there in 2004. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Artistic Style and Painting Technique

The paint is applied broadly, moved across the surface with a brush or a palette-knife. There is a heavy, gestural quality to the impasto, where the oil paint is striated and built up in layers. These surfaces often feature rainbow thatches of color that sit atop gradated, sky-colored backgrounds. The marks are not merely placed; they are hybrid gestures. A mark is laid down and then immediately altered, creating a surface where the brushstroke itself becomes the primary subject. Directional strokes of variegated color cut through these layers, creating a sense of movement within the stillness of the landscape.

The work often carries a Surrealist influence, transforming landscapes into something less certain. In some pieces, the paint is used to simulate space through a tension between flat, monochromatic backgrounds and networks of thick, textured strokes. This creates a push and pull between the figure and the ground. The process is one of constant revision, where the buildup of material and the scraping away of color define the final image. The result is a surface that feels both heavily worked and carefully controlled.

Notable Works and Artistic Evolution

The early work of Tomory Dodge often began with a specific reference point, using photographs of swamps, deserts, clouds, and trees to anchor the canvas. These compositions sometimes included more unexpected subjects like appliances or explosions. In these years, the brushstrokes were used to construct a recognizable image. Over time, this practice shifted. The subject matter has slowly given way to pure abstraction, where the brushstrokes are no longer tools for building an image, but have become the image itself.

In the early 2000s, the work Debris Pool about 2003 explored the intersection of nature and the remnants of industry. This interest in the aftermath of events continued into 2008 with Daisy Cutter, a piece featuring a deep sky-blue background and a vertical curtain of heavy paint. During this same period, Cascade Bravo (2008) utilized a dark blue underpainting to create a sense of depth beneath pale, crisscrossing strokes. By 2010, the work Dragon Teeth emerged from this evolving approach to mark-making and layered surfaces.

• Debris Pool, about 2003
• Daisy Cutter, 2008
• Cascade Bravo, 2008
• Dragon Teeth, 2010

Exhibitions and Professional Career

His presence in the gallery circuit has moved through several major hubs, from the quiet spaces of Los Angeles to the busy streets of London. He held a solo show at the Taxter & Spengemann gallery in New York before his work found its way into the Alison Jacques Gallery in London, UK. His exhibitions have also taken place at the CRG Gallery in New York, NY, and the Miles McEnery Gallery in New York, NY. In the West, he has shown at the Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, and ACME in Los Angeles, CA. His work has also been seen at the Inman Gallery in Houston, TX.

The rhythm of his practice includes periods of focused isolation and study. In 2022, he completed a residency at the Corporation of Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY. This time away allowed for the continued development of his approach to the canvas. His professional path has been marked by these shifts between public exhibition and the private, steady work of the studio.

Museum Collections and Public Recognition

The presence of his canvases in major institutions speaks to the way his work has been gathered over time. His paintings are held in the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, CA. These works sit alongside pieces in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, CA. There is also a record of his work within the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT.

Recognition for his practice arrived early in his career through specific institutional support. In 2004, he was awarded a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant. This support followed his time studying at the California Institute of the Arts, marking a period of professional development that helped establish his place in contemporary collections.