Ricardo Tomasz is an artist in audio-scapes, photography, painting, collage, video, performance art, and occasionally body hair.  

He was accepted as an artist in residence at the 2020 CRISIS Residency Project, which explores the creative landscape post-2020 through discourse and connection with artists, curators, gallerists, etc.  He has also been selected for soundpedro 2021, which is produced by the Long Beach artist group FLOOD, and hosted by Angels Gate Cultural Center, an annual ear-oriented multi-sensory event, presenting artists whose work addresses sound and aural perception in combination with other senses

Tomasz was born and raised in Hungary, to a Hungarian mother, and a Spaniard father.  They died when he was 16, but their passing allowed him to tour and study at some of the finest Art Universities in Europe.  He came to America, thrusting himself into the art scene.  He was in and out, in and out, and in and out of America over several years, until finally settling in Los Angeles as an artist, designer, and occasional human crosswalk sign.  He is a valuable contributor to the Greater and Grander Artist collective.

How are you and how is your current situation where you are?

I feel I have lost myself in the darkest pits of despair.  While Covid rages outside, on my inside, is a scarred pit of darkness.  This is because my fiancee of 7 years has departed from my life.  She was not a she, but a they, and they could not be with me, because I am a he.  So, they left me alone to my own devices.  Loneliness is not something I scourge, but rather something I embrace; and so I embrace my lack of hope for the future of this world.  It is only my art that brings me joy, and the creation of that art that helps me persevere.  

How would you describe your work?

My art is an expression of my heart.  Without art, my heart would only be a he.  I create art in many of my favorite mediums, including photography, which I have sold, and recycled rum bottles, which I have not sold.  Viewing my art is like viewing a burnt quiche that I have made – I feel both proud, and disappointed.  But making my art is a truly joyous experience.  When I create my art, I feel like I am fluttering my wings on clouds made of cotton candy and unicorn sperm.  I wish all people could have the same experience that I have to create art, for it would breathe life into their souls. 

Why did you decide to become a member of the CRISIS residency?

I wanted to join this CRISIS residency because so many people are in pain now.  I have known pain.  I have felt this pain before.  6 years ago, I hit myself in the head. That was painful. Because of that pain, I suffered a concussion, which lasted 7 1/2 months.  I have gone through the breaking and rebuilding process: I did it with my body, but much more importantly, I did it with my art.  I was reborn through the artistic process.  Now, billions of people are going through this pain, which has lasted for over 12 months.  What we all need is to rebuild ourselves, and the world, with our art.

How has your creative process been affected by 2020?

My creative process has thrived in 2020.  An artist is like a monk.  The monk sits in a solitary cell, waiting for God’s hand to strike him with a profound calling.  The artist does the same.  The monk suffers in contemplation on the nature of life.  The artist does the same.  The monk practices abstinence.  The artist does not do the same.  In the last year, I have felt the hand of God flow through me, through my creative process.  Therefore, through art, God is in me; and if God is in me, God is in my balls.  

How has the idea of community influenced your work? Has that changed this year?

Community is only a distraction that prevents us from feeling the divine hand of our inner artistic exploration.  Like the maker of windmills once said, friends come and go, but only a precious few should be held onto.  Community is only another form of entertainment, to keep our minds distracted from our approaching demise, and finding our true purpose. Community is a hoax, perpetrated by a snake oil salesman, who rides on a duck.    

What is your relationship with your subject matter?

My subject matter was my fiancee.  They, who treated me so coldly and cruelly, were also the warmth that brought me to the artwork of my soul.  They, like the world, were the ones who rejected me, and thus, I rejected them.  So, I now create alone, and am all the better for it.  The outside… they do not concern me.  They do not fret me.  They will not take up my mind, or my balls anymore.  

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing you as an artist?

My biggest challenge as an artist is to paint in light.  I studied at the finest film school in the world, and there I learned that cinematography was french for painting in light, as the light cast on a white cloth, much like a wedding dress.  Alas, I could not paint in light.  I could not use light to ascend to heaven; where heaven is to be gainfully employed.  And so, I had to give up on my dream.  To give up on my love. And so, I was relegated to painting in my underground parking garage, which was covered in darkness.  My biggest challenge was I could not paint in light, and I could not paint IN light.

What work are you the most proud of?

The work I am most proud of is my soul.  It is the soul of a he, with the heart of a me.  It is a soul which I have painstakingly crafted, heated to 5,000 degrees, covered in pastels, and made it strong.  I am most proud of who I am, as we all should be proud of who we are, and who we choose to be.

What are your future plans and what is your dream project?

I want to build a university on the moon.  There, on the moon, there will be intelligent robots, talking cats, and singing trees.  

Has this in-place residency project affected your outlook on this pandemic?

It has given me new focus in my life, and the ability to empathize with all people.  I hope I can use this residency to inspire them, and to create art.  And with that creation, God will enter them, and then God will be in all of our balls.  
Where can we find out more about your work?- You can buy my art on my Saatchi page, at https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/678639

I will be launching a new series of photographic prints on that page very soon.

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