Back To HIS Future ... Tom Wilson, of the ’Back to the Future’ Trilogy Is First Actor Ever Honored With Solo Painting Exhibition at Nickelodeon Studios

BURBANK, Calif., March 29, 2005 -- It’s been exactly twenty years since the release of the blockbuster classic “Back To The Future,” and what has actor Tom Wilson (Biff, Griff, and Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen) been up to? Surprisingly, a lot more than acting in classic shows like “Freaks and Geeks” and “Ed.” He has released a series of nostalgic paintings, prints, and posters he calls “Big Pop Fun.” On April 29, 2005, he’ll be the first actor to host a solo exhibition of his paintings at Nickelodeon Studios. Traditionally, these shows have been limited to the animation artists at Nickelodeon, but Tom is breaking new ground.

“These are unapologetically fun, colorful, beautiful paintings of things that I like to look at,” he says about the paintings of bicycles, yoyos, balsa wood model airplanes, Popsicles and ray guns he’s exhibiting, among others. These paintings are making a splash in the art world and beyond, with bold colors and pop fun, grounded in trained technique.

-- “I never thought I’d be floored by the guy who played Biff, Griff, and Mad Dog Tannen. Then I read ’there is an undeniable magic that surrounds pieces of clean, colorful plastic,’ and it wasn’t about a hoverboard!” (ESPN - Link of the Week, August, 2004)

-- “Who knew Biff was so talented?” (Fox News feature, November 2004)

How did Tom come to paint toys from the past? He says, “I’ve spent my entire adult life as an ’object’ of pop culture. I get stared at in airports, and restaurants, and supermarkets, and somewhere in those eyes is the joy of memory, that curious thrill of pop recognition that’s so powerful, yet hard to explain. These paintings are as close as I can get to explaining it. These ’objects’ make us feel good, more for the memory of a time and place than for the objects themselves ... I love them, and I paint them as dramatic still life pieces of art, because they are beautiful ... and I know how they feel. Hey, bottom line - these paintings are fun and I love looking at them.”

Tom studied drawing and painting at the Art Academy of Los Angeles, as well as the California Art Institute, followed by extensive study in painting with the noted abstract painter Rene Amitai, as well as the renowned California impressionist Arthur Bjorn Egeli.

Along with his art, Tom continues to act in television and movies, and perform stand-up comedy. Most recently he’s been seen in “Ed,” “Boston Public,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Rodney.” In the past year he’s returned to his theatrical roots in the Pasadena Playhouse production of “110 In The Shade,” and received rave reviews as the leading man Ben Rumson in the Geffen Playhouse production of “Paint Your Wagon,” along with co-star Sharon Lawrence of “Desperate Housewives” and under the direction of Gilbert Cates.

The Nickelodeon exhibition is open to the public until May 31, 2005, with an artist’s reception on Friday, April 29, 2005 from 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. at Nickelodeon Studios, 231 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91502.

Tom is available for interviews and/or press. Additional information and a demo tape featuring highlights of previous appearances with Jay Leno, David Letterman, Johnny Carson, Regis Philbin, etc. are available upon request.

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Tom or Caroline Wilson

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Tom Wilson

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