TOM GREENE

Tom Greene, 1942-2012, was a renowned American contemporary artist, known for his organic sculptures and lamps made from brass. Originally a jewelry designer, Greene’s transition to lighting design began in his garage on the weekends. His distinctive style is marked by heavily textured brass and intricate, organic forms using a torch-cutting process. Torch cutting allows for irregular, jagged edges and layered compositions, giving each piece an almost volcanic, sculptural quality. This approach not only defined his work but also set it apart from other lighting designers of the period.

Greene’s work embodies the raw and rugged aesthetics of Brutalism (from the French béton brut, meaning “raw concrete”). Brutalism is a bold, raw, and often monolithic aesthetic that emphasizes rugged materials, geometric forms, and an unapologetically industrial look. Originating in architecture in the mid-20th century, its key characteristics are raw materiality, geometric asymmetrical forms, rough texture highlighting the material in its natural state, and a dystopian aesthetic.

I discovered Tom Greene’s brutalist sconces at a gallery in Mexico City. As soon as I saw them, I knew they belonged on the walls of Granada Hotel & Bistro in San Luis Obispo. These dramatic and handcrafted fixtures were created by Greene in 1960’s at his studio in Los Angeles, they were sold by the Feldman Lighting Company in New Jersey, then over the years journeyed to a collector in Mexico City where I discovered them, and are now they’re back in California, dimly lighting the Bistro dining room and hotel lobby at Granada.

Tom Greene, Brutalist Sconces at Granada Hotel & Bistro in San Luis Obispo