My Process

My name is Thomas Contino, and I am the creator of the Prismatic Textile project. There are many components to my creative process. Ultimately I can describe it as a meditation on change over time: change within the environment, society, and my own perspective. It’s become a trend for artists to challenge themselves to ‘create every day’. All across social media, you can find talented artists creating one small piece every day. My project is almost the opposite of this (although I often experiment with doing small projects each day too). Instead of creating one small piece each day, the Prismatic Textiles method builds on the same project, day after day, building complexity over time. In a way it’s like I’m combining many small pieces into one giant painting. The process is unpredictable, taking on a life of it’s own. I always follow a set form for each painting, but there is plenty of space for improvising and exploring within these forms. Areas of the painting get built up in layers, stimulating new ideas as the painting unfolds. Ultimately, many areas end up getting completely painted over, covered up with new ideas, never to be seen again. Such is the way of the Prismatic Textile. They are paintings which take on a life of their own. They grow and evolve organically, while still playing within the boundaries of their namesake form.