Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Corbin.
Hi Tom, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As an elementary school art teacher, my mother fostered in me an early passion for art. As an electrical engineer, my father was the pragmatist in the family which had a significant impact on me and my future. Once college rolled around, I made the decision that art would remain a hobby versus a vocation. This decision was made more easily when my Dad announced that he would pay for a “practical degree” but not for a degree in art. I graduated with a marketing degree from Miami University (Ohio). My first job brought me to Kansas City where I sold corrugated boxes for the corporate behemoth, Owen Illinois. It took only two years for me to realize that I felt “boxed in.”I quit that job, took the summer off by cycling 2,500 miles from Colorado to Canada. Upon my return, I landed a much more creative position as an account exec for a KC advertising agency.
Two years into my stint at the agency, a coworker introduced me to a bronze sculptor who was offering night classes in her home. Having taken a handful of sculpture classes in college, I was curious to learn more about bronze casting. So I signed up. Within a year, I was casting and selling my own work. After year two, the thought of sculpting professionally was taking shape. In 1986, after six years in advertising, I quit my day job to become an artist full time. This decision was not made on a whim but had been carefully planned. I left with a handful of commissions to support me, a marketing brochure, and a lot of naive enthusiasm. My friends assumed that I would be back in advertising in six months.
To my amazement (and my friends), commissions continued to roll in. Much of my early success as a sculptor resulted from the fact that there were so few bronze artists in the midwest. You know… supply and demand. National exposure came to me unexpectedly through furniture design. Inspired by the great Diego Giacometti’s functional art, I designed two small bronze tables for my home. An architect friend of mine saw my tables and put me in touch with a design showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart by the name of Holly Hunt Ltd. The owner, Holly Hunt, liked what she saw and began representing my work. It was 1988.
Fast forward to today, I am represented by 25 showrooms and galleries nationally and internationally. Over the last 35 years, I have sculpted over 400 pieces ranging in size from miniature to 13 feet tall. As well as sculpture and furniture, I began painting 20 years ago.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career journey has been relatively smooth. From day one I approached art as a business. I also realized that an artist has to set themselves apart not only through their artwork but also by the way it is presented to the public. An early struggle for me was self-inflicted. Not having a formal art degree, I was intimidated by professional acquaintances that went to prestigious art schools. I eventually realized that an art degree does not guarantee sales of work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am best known as a bronze sculptor. Though my sculpture has predominantly been figurative, much of my current work has been nonobjective. In addition to sculpture, my functional work comes in the form of lighting, tables, and accessories. Painting, both acrylic, and oil round out my various disciplines.
Embracing a wide range of disciplines – sculpture, furniture design, and painting – has set me apart. My work continued to evolve as I endeavor to try out new things with all mediums.
I am most proud of having made a career out of what I like to do best. And to the point where I have had the luxury to employ incredibly talented people and who have become great friends.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is being able to live your passion day in and day out.
I also get a lot of satisfaction from looking back at my life and reflecting on the body of work I’ve produced, the wonderful friendships I have made in the industry, and the joy that “taking the road less traveled” has provided me over the last 35 years.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: corbinbronze.com
- Instagram: @corbinbronze
- Facebook: @corbinbronze
- Twitter: @corbinbronze
Image Credits
Ron Berg of Corbin Studio
