Tom Torluemke’s (b. Chicago, 1959) name is familiar to art lovers in Chicagoland thanks mainly to his detailed acrylic paintings, in which he observes and memorializes society’s ills with the doting attention of a diehard humanist. Torluemke has been considerably more prolific in painting works on paper, a primarily unexplored part of his oeuvre: Tom Torluemke: Live! On Paper, 1987 – 2024, aspires to reframe the conversation around his art, representing almost forty years of studio activity that includes works about nature, fantasy, autobiography, abstraction, social strife, identity, and a full spectrum of emotion from shame to ecstasy, showcasing Torluemke’s unique artistry through his freewheeling imagination and boundless technical chops in capturing our broad collective experience of being fully aware, conscious citizens living in this place at this peculiar moment in history. – Dan Cameron, Curator

A monograph and exhibition catalog for Tom Torluemke: Live! On Paper has been published by SKIRA Editore, Milan, and edited by Dan Cameron, with essays by Dan Cameron, Jeff Huebner, Robin Dluzen, Alan Pocaro, and David Detmer.

Tom Torluemke is a contemporary artist whose practice spans 40+ years and includes works in painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, and various mediums. Tom is known for his powerful, no-holds-barred approach to subject matter relating to socio-political, ethical, and humanistic themes. With over 150 solo and group exhibitions and 30 public art commissions throughout the Midwest, his work testifies to the relevance and scope of his ideas and his ability to present them in a meaningful context within their communities.