Thomas Whelan Benton (November 16, 1930 – April 27, 2007) was an American artist, best known for his political posters and his collaborations with writer Hunter S.
After a trip to Europe and fleeting thoughts about Big Sur, his family decided to move to Colorado.
He used quotes to make sure no one missed the message in his work and occasionally added a straight line to his pieces as representing the "hand of man".
Benton continued to keep his hand in politics and issues that mattered to him throughout his career, designing the poster that current Sheriff Bob Braudis used in his last campaign in 2006.
Tom spent much of his "art" time creating monoprints and paintings that were an extension of his earlier work with perhaps a bit more left to the imagination of the viewer.
A self-described pessimist in his early career, his more recent works show a shift towards lighter issues in his colors and perhaps even a bit more optimism.
Additional information was provided by the Aspen Historical Society exhibit featuring Tom's work until December 2007.