BIO.1

My interest in Americana began when I was a child, and this interest has only grown stronger as I’ve gotten older. I was born in West Point, NY as the youngest of four and an Army brat. Much of my life has been spent traveling all over the U.S., staying in various cities and towns for short stints. Whenever possible, I try to make the time for other trips across the country to document the many pieces of our pop-culture history that are fading away. As a graphic designer with an advertising background, I’ve always had a fascination with the line we draw between commercialization and art.

I try to approach my photography by focusing on the often overlooked details in every day life. There’s a certain satisfaction that I get from finding a lasting beauty in something intended to be ephemeral. Whether these signs were made by professional tradesmen or by self-taught artists, the link that they all share is one of pride. Pleading for our attention years beyond their usefulness, these dignified old signs manage to enhance their own beauty over time. In turn, these pieces transcend the commercial and become art in and of themselves.

Many of the subjects that I choose are from a sort of golden era of advertising. In my mind they help to maintain the ideal image of an America that maybe only existed in movies or TV shows, but one I wish I had experienced nonetheless. Sometimes a pitch for Coke can seem like just a charming vestige from another era. Other times the tired old paint of a faded advertisement seems to convey the emptiness of an unkept promise. Either way, I find an endless amount of inspiration from them.

My work tends to focus on elements of abstract geometric design, typography, color, humor, wordplay, and the role that time has played in regard to the piece itself. I am inspired by the work of Edward Hopper, Robert Indiana, Walker Evans, Edward Ruscha, Romare Bearden, William Eggleston, Tony Fitzpatrick and by the culture and history of advertising itself. It is a subject matter that is inherently American.

These photographs were taken while traveling over the last few years, and in towns that I have called home.

My photographs are available for stock, sale and display. But they are not to be used for any purpose without expressed written consent. If you have interest in any of these images, please contact me at:

tomscharpf@yahoo.com