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Deep-sea fish, renaissance sketches, Gibbons Park and 1920s jazz.
It was all in a day’s work for London artist Tom Hilborn.
An upcoming exhibition at the TAP Centre downtown is celebrating the eclectic works of Hilborn, a prolific creator who died earlier this year of cancer. He was 67 years old.
“This guy was a treasure” said Paul Woods, a long-time friend. “Unlike (renowned London artists) Greg Curnoe and Jack Chambers, he never got discovered by the expensive art world. But I think his art was every bit as valid as what they did. He felt like a part of that scene.”
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The exhibition of Hilborn’s work is taking place at TAP Centre for Creativity from Nov. 5 to 9. A memorial service and art sale of approximately 160 of the late artist’s paintings is happening Nov. 6 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hilborn was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last year and chose not to pursue aggressive treatment for the blood cancer, Woods said. He died July 14, months longer than his doctors expected he would live, Woods said.
The combination memorial service-art exhibition and sale is a fitting tribute to Hilborn, Woods said.
“He left his family a lot of paintings. The family has decided to put them on sale hoping that the work will get on to people’s walls. They don’t want them sitting in a storage locker somewhere,” Woods said. “They’re hoping that as part of the celebration, people will walk away with a painting or two.”
Hilborn, who was also an accomplished guitarist and long-time member of the London band The Black Holes, was always looking for patterns and connections in unexpected places, Woods said.
Hilborn often drew inspiration from the sketchbooks renaissance artists used to plan out their masterpieces, Woods said. He looked to the early days of rock and roll, channeling images of obscure rockabilly acts in his art.
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Deep-sea, abyssal fish and 1920s jazz artists were a common fascination for Hilborn. As for landscapes, Hilborn took a particular liking to London’s Gibbons Park, Woods said.
“They’re all just combined in this wonderful way in his paintings,” he said.
Hilborn mostly painted on board not canvas or paper, said Pam Hanington, a friend of Hilborn’s since their time at London’s Central secondary school. Sometimes he would paint on wooden boards that he found. He would use whatever art supplies he could get his hands on, she said.
“He would use ink and charcoal, pencil crayon, acrylic paint and plaster,” she said. “He loved to experiment.”
Though he never made a lot of money off his art during his lifetime, Hilborn was celebrated in local art circles, Woods said. He had exhibitions at several galleries over the years, including London’s Westland Gallery and Art With Panache.
“He had a lot of fans. He had a lot of people that got to know him one way or another, through his art or through his music,” Woods said.
“Over time, a lot of people ended up with Tom Hilborn’s work hanging on their walls.”
Hilborn split his time between Dundas, near Hamilton, and London, Hanington said. He was a disciplined artist with a generous spirit and big heart, she said.
“He was an extremely kind person,” Hanington said. “He had a really gentle soul. He wished the best for people. He thought that love was the answer to everything.”
jbieman@postmedia.com
Tom Hilborn: Be Reality
What: A celebration of life exhibition for London artist Tom Hilborn
When: Nov. 5-9, with a memorial service and art sale from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 6.
Where: TAP Centre for Creativity, 203 Dundas St., London
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