Acclaimed Washington artist Tom Green dies of Lou Gehrig’s disease at 70

Jonathan Newton/THE WASHINGTON POST - Artist Tom Green in his home studio on November, 3 2011 in Cabin John, Md.

By Michael E. Ruane ~ The Washington Post

Tom Green, the acclaimed creator of colorful and inventive abstract art and a longtime teacher at Washington’s Corcoran College of Art and Design, died Sept. 3 at his home in Cabin John.

He had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and died in his living room amid a regular Monday gathering of local artists and friends, his wife, Linda Green, said. He was 70.

Mr. Green, who taught at the Corcoran for 40 years before retiring in 2009, was influenced by the Washington Color School that emphasized abstract, geometric paintings in bright colors.

He is perhaps best known for his large paintings of colorful “glyphs” — big, curving, figures that resemble letters from a mysterious alphabet. His paint-spattered home studio was filled with them, and the American University Museum hosted an exhibition of Mr. Green’s work last year.

In 1988, former Washington Post art critic Paul Richard described an enigmatic Green painting as “like a comic strip for Martians,” but with understanding “just around the corner . . . one train of thought away.”  Continue reading →