A native of London, England, Toby Corbett is a painter now based in Los Angeles, California. Before moving to LA Corbett attended the University of Washington, where he was profoundly influenced by the work of his teacher and mentor Jacob Lawrence. A European sojourn led to Corbett’s first exposure to the canon of master painters. Corbett also saw his first professional theatrical production, HAIR, at the Shaftsbury theatre in London. Infatuated by the theatre Corbett pursued, with Lawrence’s support, the opportunity to develop his painting skills on a much larger scale by working on university theatrical productions, leading to professional scenic painting at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Mark Taper Theatre in Los Angeles. Corbett’s professional theatrical work eventually led to a successful career as a production designer for film and television. Today his engagement with the performative arts continues to influence his art practice. Artist Statement Most days I ride my bike along the banks of the Los Angeles River down to my studio in the historic neighborhood of Lincoln Heights. The slope of the cement walls containing the river, the stands of tall oak trees caught in the flow of shimmering water, colorful graffiti scrawled across the myriad surfaces of aging industrial buildings lining the river provide me with the forms, shapes, textures and colors that permeate my work. As does the architecture of my studio which is the top floor of a turn of the century building. Partially plastered walls covered with peeling paint, exposed brick and timber framing help to reinforce my unique visual language. The river and the studio, both provide the inspiration for the backgrounds of my abstracted, mythical, and psychological narratives.