TB Ward’s ‘Professional Human’ Introspective Hybrid Art/Music Show Debuts at UpStream Gallery in Hastings

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Hastings artist TB Ward (Photo: TB Ward with credit to TB Ward website)

October 1, 2024

By W.B. King–

Twenty years ago, while living in Brooklyn, artist and musician TB Ward and his wife, Ruth, were expecting a child. Loving the enchantments of the city but understanding its limitations for family life, the couple earnestly began investigating places to live that would be more suitable for the next phase of their evolving lives. With no knowledge of the rivertowns, their quest ended when walking the streets of Hastings-on-Hudson—they were enamored.

“As it’s a small town, word gets around, and especially if you are an artist, you find other artists. So, it was a natural progression to get involved with the local art scene,” Ward told The Hudson Independent. “It’s through this community that I found out that there was a co-op gallery.”

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Located on 8 Main Street, the Upstream Gallery, a cooperative movement, will feature Ward’s latest one-man show, “Professional Human,” which runs from October 3 to October 27, 2024. Joining the cooperative as a member in 2013, this marks his fourth solo show at the gallery; however, for this creative run, Ward is taking the audience on both a visual and audio artistic journey.

His display consisting of seven oil on canvas portrait pieces, Ward also created an aural accompaniment in the form of an LP consisting of four songs and five spoken word/short stories. The LP will be released digitally and on vinyl, and it will be available at the show, he noted. “As a musician and visual artist, I find that both mediums resonate with audiences, albeit in different ways,” Ward said. “My abstract paintings have always been about expressing feelings, much like the lyrics and songs I create.”

The Common Thread

Originally hailing from Barnsley, England, Ward, after graduating from North Staffordshire University in 1990, with a focus on print making, spent the balance of the decade touring in bands around Europe. The genre, he offered, was “math rock,” with influences ranging from Nirvana to My Bloody Valentine.

“While abstract art conveys emotions in a more free-form manner, I strive for that same emotional impact in my storytelling through music. Ultimately, I see the creative process as the common thread that ties these mediums together,” he shared. “Whether I’m painting or writing, it all stems from the same instinct to express and connect, even as the portraits are leading me to explore uncharted territory.”

Ward’s wanderlust led him to New York in 1999. Newly wedded to Ruth, he rediscovered his passion for visual arts, finding solace in sketching and painting his surroundings, while capturing “the essence of the city that never sleeps.” Teaching gigs led to a position working at the Whitney Museum, where he found himself surrounded by “eclectic array of artworks and artists.” The diverse range of styles and techniques on display inspired him.

In certain respects, his latest gallery showing is a full circle experience. The first of the seven portraits on display is of Ruth. “The piece quite naturally took on a lot of gravitas. It was almost by accident that I began painting her, but it became an intense experience,” he shared. “The painting itself, though small, feels physically heavy because of all the layers and texture—it’s a really powerful piece.”

The second portrait he painted was of their daughter, Bluebell—what he called an intimate and rewarding experience. The remaining five subjects, he joked, are people he doesn’t live with.

“It became more about trying to capture something deeper. It’s not just about making a likeness—it’s about understanding the person, finding that subtle look in their eye, and figuring out what makes them unique,” Ward continued. “Some people are more intense than others, and I’m drawn to those with a certain intensity, a bit of mystery, or a personality that’s outgoing enough to enjoy the idea of being painted.”

Staying Adaptable

An eclectic artist, Ward has worked in various mediums—from wire, clay, and acrylic on wood to oil on canvas to the four-track recorder he used to create his stripped down, no frills latest batch of songs.

“I’m constantly reacting against my own past work. I tend to get bored with what I’ve already done, and that pushes me to reassess and figure out what will be interesting to explore next,” he said. “I bounce between different projects, and my surroundings play a big role in shaping what I create.”

A recent trip to the Adirondacks, for example, was a seminal moment. “I thought it would be amazing to spend a month there, to make some plein-air paintings. That environment would inspire something new in my work,” he said.

When asked to describe his “personal brand, he conceded that the concept makes him uncomfortable, but offered: “I guess it’s is about staying adaptable, not being scared of change or to challenge myself, reacting to both external influences and my own creative evolution, and following those instincts wherever they lead me.”

As Ward looks forward to opening night on October 3, he reflected on his latest hybrid artistic offerings—years in the making. “I realized both the songs and paintings share a similar process—each one captures a feeling. Even though I approach them differently, they come from the same creative place,” he told The Hudson Independent, noting that the opening reception of “Professional Human” takes place on Friday October 4 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. “Eventually, I added short stories I’d written over the years, making it a multi-dimensional project. While the mediums sometimes feel separate, to me they are tied together through the same emotional expression.”

For more information, visit: www.upstreamgallery.com

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