Tim Anderson begins his techno-biological drawings by extending a loose, random matrix of lightly limned lines over a large sheet of paper. This primary stage is accomplished subconsciously. In the second phase, Anderson stands back from the sheet and lets his imagination bring forth a complex realm of forms wherein he sees “a confluence of nature and the man-made.” In the third and final stage the artist produces a detailed monochromatic drawing, giving weight and form to the images he has created ex nihilo (out of nothing). In the finished drawing the original random pattern has been developed into a full-blown “fantasy reality.”

The results appear as combinations of plant and animal life, machine components and human body parts – a capricious of blend humor, threat and the uncanny. Critics have praised Anderson’s series for its simultaneous evocation of Surrealism, tattoo iconography and the Low Brow art movement that emerged in Southern California in the 1990s.

Regarded as one of Central California’s finest draftsmen, Anderson’s drawings have been shown at Prescott College (AZ), the University of Santa Clara (CA), the Fallout Gallery, Las Vegas (NV) and LA ARTCORE (CA). His work was published in New American Paintings (#73, 2007) and Studio Visit (volume three, 2008). Anderson is also known for his huge, site-specific, techno-biological collaborative mural drawings that he produces with teams of art students.

Morphic Traces: The Drawings of Tim Anderson is organized by the Central California Museum of Art and is curated by Sarah R. Squire, Curatorial Assistant, Westmont College Museum of Art, Santa Barbara.