DON'T GIVE THE BIRDS MONEY!

The art of Bob Tooke can be seen as a continuation and new development in classic American folk art. In addition to making art, Tooke has also worked as a musician. Over the years, he has participated in several group and solo exhibitions in Germany, Europe and the United States. The unpretentious naïve style of his paintings is thematically related to his music and his song lyrics. The works display a joyful but mysterious sense of humor. For his paintings, Tooke uses leftover pieces of wood, wooden boxes and lost items from commercial and urban contexts. The scenes that he paints onto these objects are playful and enigmatic narratives. His painting style is laconic, and is expressed through spontaneous gestures that collect the fleeting impressions of moments in time. In their direct confrontation, his subjects and texts reveal disastrous relationships and stories. Portraits of country music and blues heroes contrast with a series of burning tour buses and private cars representing mainstream musicians.