Meet one of our 2025 Artists in Residence, Thomas Moberg, as he discusses how his decision to step in as a caretaker for his parents has informed his development as an artist; encouraging him to prioritize community building, environmental conservation, and to search for the sacred within everyday moments.
Thomas's statement reads, "I am a multidisciplinary artist working primarily through plein air painting and jewelry design to create work that explores our relationship with the natural world. This work is informed by my upbringing in central Wisconsin, my close relationship to my parents, and our familial legacy of environmental conservation, social justice, and working class artistry. I utilize the tradition of plein air painting as a framework for exploration and finding a connection with the sacred through small, everyday moments. This practice is process-oriented, relying on observational painting as a framework for exploring my immediate surroundings. Searching through the environment in this way is a form of meditation, which reinforces my ability to find a connection to the sacred within humble everyday experiences. I deliberately choose subjects that I consider small, or which I believe might otherwise go unnoticed. By focusing on moments that are hidden within the mundane, this practice strengthens my sense of wonder, and encourages the viewer to reconsider where they expect to encounter beauty in their daily lives. As a second-generation goldsmith, I utilize the traditions of metalsmithing and jewelry design to explore concepts of preciousness and hierarchy of value, using thematic motifs of nature and symmetry. In my work, labor and sentiment are the primary sources of value. Working in silver, copper, and gold, I create wearable art that emphasizes preciousness of memory and craft over the preciousness of material. Miniature carved details and moving parts elicit curiosity and play when worn, while the incorporation of heirloom gems and metals speak to the identity and personal history of the wearer. Meticulous craft and a reverence for the handmade object form a through-line between these two bodies of work. Through these practices, I access a connection with the sacred through humble moments of lived experience and treasured objects that embody sentiment and identity."
Thomas is utilizing his time in SAAC's residency to, "...create plein air paintings informed by my family's intergenerational connection with Lake Superior, exploring concepts of identity and my relationship with the natural world... This residency would give me the chance to engage with truly natural landscapes. Using the cabin as a base, my intention is to paint en plein air along the shores of the Saint Mary’s River and the many islands that separate Lakes Superior and Huron."
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