Stephen Tompkins

{{Short description|American artist and animator}}

Stephen Tompkins (born October 4, 1971, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American artist, animator, and composer based in Southern California. He grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio, near Cleveland, and graduated from Avon Lake High School in 1990.Avon Lake City Schools. (1990). [https://library.biblioboard.com/content/09ce428f-030c-4b56-8d3b-08457e321261 Shore Log 1990 (Vol. 31)]. Avon Lake High School. p. 138. His work is associated with the 'Hardcore' Pop Surrealism movement{{cite web|url=http://www.kunstwissen.de/pop-surrealismus.htm|title=Popsurrealismus|work=Kunstwissen.de |accessdate=2009-07-30}}

Tompkins' work has been exhibited in numerous galleries throughout the United States and Europe since 1997. His work was exhibited in BLK/MRKT Gallery's Artist Annual in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Publications.asp?gid=424443302&cid=122392&rta=http://www.artnet.com/|title=BLK/MRKT TWO on Kinsey/Desforges artnet page |work=BLK/MRKT Gallery |accessdate=2009-03-03}}

His work has been exhibited alongside such artists as Daniel Johnston (in Austin, Texas) in a two-man exhibit titled "The Art of Daniel Johnston and Stephen Tompkins" and Ron English and Steven Hopwood-Lewis ("Melodic Inversions & Contrary Motions" exhibition in Dallas).{{cite web|url=http://www.popaganda.com/events_Dallas2007.shtml|title=Melodic Inversions & Contrary Motions : Exhibition at Art Prostitute Gallery|work=Popaganda.com|accessdate=2009-03-03|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021606/http://www.popaganda.com/events_Dallas2007.shtml|archivedate=2008-09-22}}

Image:StephenTompkins.jpg

His work has appeared in publications including LA Weekly,{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/view/71380/1|title=Stephen Tompkins' "Transmogrifications" |work=LAWeekly.com |accessdate=2009-03-03}} Raw Vision Magazine, Monopol Magazin,{{cite web|url=http://www.monopol-magazin.com/termine/berlin-intoxicated-demons-gallery-stephen-tompkins|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904163635/http://www.monopol-magazin.com/termine/berlin-intoxicated-demons-gallery-stephen-tompkins|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-04|title=Stephen Tompkins' " FrischFleisch" |work=monopol-magazin.com|accessdate=2010-03-15}} New American Paintings{{cite web|url=http://www.newamericanpaintings.com/60thbook/newbook.htm |title=New American Paintings : Issue #60 Western Edition : Juried by Fereshteh Daftari MOMA NY |work=New American Paintings |accessdate=2009-03-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061121110937/http://www.newamericanpaintings.com/60thbook/newbook.htm |archivedate=November 21, 2006 }} and Juxtapoz. Some of his work was published in the book BLK/MRKT TWO by {{ill|Die Gestalten Verlag|de}} and in Year One Rewind, a survey of urban and graffiti art by Last Gasp Press.

His animated short, Gummymorph, appears in the film Freak Out in Cucamonga, a documentary about the early studio years of Frank Zappa. In February 2009, he released a Digital-8 collection of 13 music videos that he directed, filmed and produced of Daniel Johnston filmed in Johnston's hometown of Waller, Texas. The videos and MP3s were released as digital downloads under the name "Daniel Johnston at Home LIVE".{{cite web|url=http://www.foundla.com/sys/artists/stephen-tompkins/|title=Featured Artists: Stephen Tompkins |work=Found Gallery |accessdate=2009-03-03}}

He acted as an EMT in the Werner Herzog film My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3522153/|title=IMDB |work=imdb.com |accessdate=2009-05-18}}

In December 2009, he was nominated as a composer for a Maverick Movie Award in the short film category for "Best Original Score".{{cite web|url=http://www.maverickmovieawards.com/2009shorts.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305002024/http://www.maverickmovieawards.com/2009shorts.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-03-05|title=Award Winners and Nominees 2009 : Maverick Movie Awards|work=Maverick Movie Awards|accessdate=2010-03-15}}

Tompkins was nominated for the 2010 San Diego Art Prize Award by curator Robin Clark, PhD of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and his work was selected to be part of the MCASD exhibit "Here Not There" which opened in June 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.sdvisualarts.net/sdvan_new/artprizenc3.php|title=San Diego Art Prize 2010|accessdate=2010-03-15}}

He is currently represented worldwide by Ernst Hilger Galerie in Vienna, Austria.{{cite web|url=http://www.hilger.at/831_DE-Galerie-Kuenstler.htm|title=Ernst Hilger Galerie|accessdate=2013-11-15}}