Tom Warren
1954: Born Lakewood, Ohio.
1965: Reads, “Blues People” by Leroy Jones, Amiri Baraka. Borrowed from
school library.
1967: Takes first photo at age 13 with his brother’s Polaroid Swinger.
Finds his medium, first thing he could do as an artist.
1970: Attends Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, exhaustive survey of African
American roots, blues & jazz.
Sees & hears Miles Davis perform.
1974: Three month sojourn to Ireland, British Isles & Europe. Via Eurail
Pass and Youth Hostels. Immersed in art and culture; visits Prado, Madrid;
Picasso Museum, Malaga; Sagrada Familia, Barcelona; Picasso Exhibit, Palais
des Papes, Avignon; Matisse Studio, Nice; Roman Forum, Italy; Uffizi &
Medici, Florence; Louvre, Paris; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; 6th International
Art Fair, Berlin; much more.
1977: BS in Photo-Illustration Kent State University School of Journalism.
Editor-in-Chief Chestnut Burr yearbook.
Buys Hasselblad 1000F medium format camera.
1978: Merchant Marine, US Steel Great Lakes Fleet.
1979: Moves to New York City, builds 428 Broome St studio.
Buys Cambo 4x5 Studio View camera. Becomes involved with Colab, the NYC
artist cooperative. Sees Weegee exhibition at Daniel Wolfe on 57th St.
1981: Two Month sojourn to Greece. Conceives Portrait Studio performance
and exhibit at ABC No Rio, Lower East Side.
1983: Fashion Moda, South Bronx & Semaphore Portrait Studios and shows.
1983-2003: Employed by Sotheby’s Photo Studio, NY. Equivalent to a Masters
in Art History.
1984: Purchases Contact T 35mm camera.
1985: East 12th St studio, NY.
1987-88: Studio 325 Broome St.
1988-90: Adjunct Professor of Photography, Art Ed/Art Studios, Case Western
Reserve University.
1990-95: Photographs “Vents” in Manhattan with Hasselblad 1000F & Vivitar
283 Flash, Kodak TMax 100 film.
1996: Sees Roy Decarava Exhibition at MoMA, deeply moved.
1997: Purchases Lieca Minilux 35mm camera with date stamp. Coins Visual
Journal.
2006-08: Studio at Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, NY. Purchase 8x10
Camera and stand.
2008-15: Studio 85 North 3rd, Brooklyn, NY. Portraits with 8x10. Scans
Portrait Studio archive. Begin scanning Visual Journal 35mm archive. Mount
grids.
2022: First book, The 1980’s Art Scene in New York, published by Hatje
Cantz/Pulpo Gallery.
