In Line – A Portrait of Thomas Edward Knowles

by: Farzad Farrokhnia

Something that started with an accident has become an intricate and ornate part of a man’s life. Thomas Edward Knowles, a transplant to El Paso originally from Venice, California, has taken something that could easily be done on a computer and turned it into a beautiful hand-made obsession created with ink, a straight edge and the numbers in his head.

Like all great artists, their periods are what define them. Picasso was most widely recognized for his cubism, although he had some fantastic works during his Rose and Blue periods. Knowles is bound to have other periods and they’re sure to be as intriguing as this. Among his listed influences, Knowles cites Wucius Wong as a direct influence on his line work. Knowles’ pieces, the largest of which is about 18×24 inches, are rather small in scale but immense in detail.

While his line works make up the bulk of his creations, he also enjoys photography, collage work and his music. He started with the keyboard at a young age and then progressed to the piano. He is also a classically trained guitarist. His hope is that his art feeds his music and vice versa.

Knowles is in the process of planning an exhibit for early 2015 that spans the full catalog of his line work, displaying around 40 pieces.

Read more about Thomas Knowles -pick up issue number 12 at the Green Ingredient