Presentation
Passionate about comics since he was a little boy, Thomas Debatisse Beal, aka Otom, developped a talent for drawing very early on.
Walt Disney movies, pop culture, science fiction as well as the works of masters such as Munch, Musha, Ernest Pignon Ernest, Basquiat, Keith Haring or Arman are all references which continue to nourish the artist’s work.
Parallel to his love of drawing, the artist practiced BMX with wholehearted passion. His time spent in skateparks led him to discover his first graffiti frescoes and the world of street art. The culture shock induced by this discovery naturally pushed him to study graphic design. In 2005, in his class, Otom made the acquaintance of a learned graffer, who then initiated his first steps into the world of graffiti.
From then on, illegal tags, vandal graffitis are painted along train tracks, under bridges or around urban wastelands. This experience was pivotal in his path as an artist and will remain his greatest influence.
In the words of Otom, he aims to deliver an infinity of messages within each single work. This is why, in reference to his many influences, each painting contains an accumulation of various and profuse graphics (illustrations, doodles, graffitis…), which create a sort of giant rebus or charade, casting a spotlight on the essential relationship between macro and micro, forever questioning the spectator’s point of view. You may see something from afar, but a thousand more up close.
You don’t just walk by one of Otom’s work. You stop, you look at it, you take time to read it and understand every little coded detail, all of which bring answers forth.
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Walt Disney movies, pop culture, science fiction as well as the works of masters such as Munch, Musha, Ernest Pignon Ernest, Basquiat, Keith Haring or Arman are all references which continue to nourish the artist’s work.
Parallel to his love of drawing, the artist practiced BMX with wholehearted passion. His time spent in skateparks led him to discover his first graffiti frescoes and the world of street art. The culture shock induced by this discovery naturally pushed him to study graphic design. In 2005, in his class, Otom made the acquaintance of a learned graffer, who then initiated his first steps into the world of graffiti.
From then on, illegal tags, vandal graffitis are painted along train tracks, under bridges or around urban wastelands. This experience was pivotal in his path as an artist and will remain his greatest influence.
In the words of Otom, he aims to deliver an infinity of messages within each single work. This is why, in reference to his many influences, each painting contains an accumulation of various and profuse graphics (illustrations, doodles, graffitis…), which create a sort of giant rebus or charade, casting a spotlight on the essential relationship between macro and micro, forever questioning the spectator’s point of view. You may see something from afar, but a thousand more up close.
You don’t just walk by one of Otom’s work. You stop, you look at it, you take time to read it and understand every little coded detail, all of which bring answers forth.
All artworks of Otom
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What are their 3 main works?
When was Otom born?
The year of birth of the artist is: 1986