Jasper Thomas

“As soon as I get inspired, ideas start to jump off.”

Jasper Thomas spent two years in Reno directing for GemsTV. But his not-so-secret passion for fine art illustration, twisted ‘toons and detailed pencil sketches is getting Thomas noticed in the Sucka Free. Thomas’ water colored Devil Babies series feature cherubic gremlins at sadistic play with our moral conscience. “I wanted to do something cute that drew the observer in, like blowing up a frog with a straw stuck in his butt, then popping it with a rock flung from a sling shot,” says Thomas. Charming…

Thomas’ single frame cartoons are perverted snapshots that are both disturbing and riotous. The observer can see elements of Groening, Johnson, and Crumb in Thomas’ subversive perspectives. Appealingly unpolished, the artist’s series explores the imbalance in our ethical equilibrium, casting civility aside in favor of the uncouth rites of youth. The work evokes an uneasy familiarity; a catharsis of guilty pleasure in identification with the tiny sociopath inside each of us.

Of his entry into San Francisco’s thriving art scene, Thomas states, “I try to stay active. I go to as many galleries and openings as I can to see what’s out there--to see who’s better than me. To push myself and get my name out.”

Artist Jasper Thomas shows at Fort Mason’s Make My Monday series on July 27 and August 31. View his work locally August 25 through September 25 at Java Jungle 246 West First Street, Downtown Reno. 775-329-4484.

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Oliver X