Tom Maley (1911-2000) American, Oil on Canvas, Nudes Bathing. 1964. Signed and dated 1964 lower right. 

Overall Size: 38 1/2 x 44 3/4 in.

Sight Size: 38 x 44 in.

Tom Maley (1911-2000) lived and worked as an artist for most of his life on Martha’s Vineyard. His home and studio were located in a large field in rural West Tisbury behind the Field Gallery which he founded in 1970. Largely self-taught, Tom started out as a commercial photographer in New York City before relocating to West Tisbury with his wife Helen in 1946. He was a prolific painter and worked in every medium from water colors to oils and acrylics. Though he considered himself foremost a painter he is best known for his iconic larger than life sculptures. Tom began creating sculptures in the late 1950’s. He experimented with different materials, eventually settling on mainly urethane foam, fiberglass and epoxy. By the mid 1960’s he started making large scale sculptures. These oversized statues were sprinkled across the field in front of his house, (no longer there), as they are today, surrounding the present-day Field Gallery. Thomas also designed similar tabletop figures cast in white resin and verdigris bronze that he made in limited editions. His pieces were intended to represent the human spirit and were joyful odes to life. Created with wit and whimsy, they celebrate the human form with humor. Mr. Maley never took himself too seriously. On discussing his career as an artist, Thomas said,” It never occurred to me to actually get anywhere in life.” Tom Maley’s career spanned over fifty years. He leaves behind a legacy of work, mostly with family and in private collections, but his lively statues live on.  He continued to work until the day he died, preparing for an exhibit at the Field Gallery scheduled to open four days after his death. He died in August 2000 at the age of 89 in his home in West Tisbury, MA. 

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