TOM GARRETSON is a multidisciplinary Native American/Norwegian artist working in the fields of art photography, music, writing and performance.  Currently residing in Norway, his creative odyssey spans continents, focusing on the international artistic landscape.

In the late 1970s, Garretson's artistic journey commenced amid the pulsating beats of Max’s Kansas City and CBGBs, where he fervently engaged in writing, photography, and performance art alongside luminaries of the music and art scene. These formative experiences seeded his eclectic artistic sensibilities, nourished by encounters with influential musicians, writers, actors and artists.

He received his education in Musicology/Music Composition, and Poetic Drama at New York University, and studied Jazz Guitar at Loyola School of Music in New Orleans. He holds a degree in Art Photography from the Oslo School of Art Photography and two BA’s in Musicology and Art History from the University of Oslo, as well as a Master’s Degree in Art History. His thesis was titled "Dancing on the Abyss: George Grosz, Otto Dix, Christian Schad and the Influence of Cabaret Culture."

As a prolific writer, Garretson's words have graced the pages of esteemed publications in the US and Norway.  In 2023 he completed co-authoring the play Marquesa with artist Lydia Lunch, which he also authored the lyrics and composed the music for, which received two prestigious arts grants from the Arts Council Norway (for writing and for composing). In 2018 he authored a text on Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Seven Deadly Sins for the mezzosoprano Tora Augestad’s recording which won the Norwegian Grammy for Best Classical Recording that year. He was also a regular contributor of writing and photography to Paraphilia Magazine (USA and UK) from 2008 to 2013 and has written and photographed for Staging Decadence (Goldsmith’s University, London), Blikk, Banzai Magazine, and other publications. Currently he is finishing his first novel, scheduled to be completed in 2024.

His photographic prowess extends across continents, with his evocative imagery finding homes in magazines, newspapers, and publications worldwide.  Most recently his photographs of Lydia Lunch were featured in the French television series Vernon Subutex, written by Virginie Despentes, and also in Pleading the Blood: The Art and Performances of Ron Athey (Intellect Books Ltd., 2013), The Gun Is Loaded (2008) by Lydia Lunch, and No Wave by Marc Masters (2007), both published by Black Dog Publishing UK. He has exhibited in the USA, China and in Norway in solo and group exhibitions of art photography, also mixing performance art with photography and involving the public as active performers in his works. His photographing of transvestites was featured in the first episode of NRK National TV's Jentene Fra Toten (The Girls from Toten) in 2010.    Also in 2009, he collaborated with the Iranian art photographer Adel Bonakdarpour under the moniker of Phototerroristas, in a work titled US THEM, using photography and performance to explore terrorism, the work of Dr. Stanley Milgram, and negative categorization and objectification in juxtaposed photographic images with confrontational, manipulative behavior. In 2011, he completed a three-year "Exquisite Corpse" art photography project titled On Pleasure with Lydia Lunch and the Chinese artist Joyce Lui Ying. In 2012, he performed a photographic performance art piece in his solo art exhibition at the Galleri Lyshuset, in Norway, titled Name Your Poison. In 2019 his solo art photography exhibition titled Baroque Grotesque featured at Galleri Schaeffersgt. 5 in Oslo, Norway.  In 2024 his work was featured as the cover for Mark Steiner’s recording of Black Hole.  From the enigmatic depths of performance art to the raw authenticity captured in his lens, Garretson's visual narratives traverse boundaries, inviting viewers into immersive experiences.

As a music producer, he has worked with many international artists producing live and recorded events.  In 2004 he initiated a recording of authentic Berlin cabaret songs and received a research grant to travel to Berlin.  Finding authentic arrangements in archives there, he recorded the CD Sound and Smoke: The Music of the Berlin Cabaret Era which upon its release received international acclaim from critics and academic scholars.  In 2008 he recorded, composed and produced the CD Love Art Lab with Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens, and also performed with the couple at the European Cultural Capital in Norway in a performance that was scandalized by the tabloid press. In 2009 he was asked to join Sprinkle and Stephens at the Venice Biennale, where he performed his own work Burning Lights. As an actor, writer and performer he has appeared in his own avant-garde performances such as the AlterPorn Cabaret in Oslo, and in numerous Edward Weiss Off-Broadway theatre plays in New York. He has also performed his own dramatic poetry performances in the US, Norway and Italy. In 2012 he played the part of "Diablo" in A Short Film About Incompetence directed by Matt Willis-Jones. He has also lectured at the University of Chicago in Paris in 2015 on Art Versus Commerce: The Struggle for Artistic Independence, and again in 2017 on Berlin Cabaret is at the Heart of Transgression, for their Transgressive Cultures Conference, where he also presented his paper On Reading Sade and premiered his short film, A Baroque Grotesque.  He also appeared that year on NRK P2 National Radio discussing Berlin cabaret as an art form.

Throughout his illustrious career, Garretson has graced stages, galleries, and lecture halls, sharing his insights on art's transformative power. From avant-garde performances to captivating lectures on transgressive cultures, his presence resonates, leaving an indelible impression on audiences worldwide.  As he continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression, TOM GARRETSON remains a luminary whose creative legacy transcends borders, inspiring generations to embrace the boundless possibilities of art.  •