Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill Thompson.
Bill, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
At the age of 7, I identified as an artist and was fortunate enough to be encouraged by my parents and teachers to pursue art as a career. After two uninspired years of college and ten years of picture framing, I began my full time studio practice in 1989. Since then I’ve explored numerous iterations of a minimalist/monochromatic format and have gradually morphed from 2-dimensional paintings to 3-dimensional wall sculptures.
I’ve exhibited nationally and internationally, including numerous solo exhibitions in Boston, New York, Seoul, Munich, Valencia, Barcelona, Basel, and Sydney. My work is featured in public and private collections around the world and locally at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, deCordova Museum, Fogg Art Museum, Rose Art Museum, Davis Museum, Addison Gallery of American Art, and List Visual Art Center at MIT.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I consider myself to be very fortunate that I’ve been able to survive solely on art sales since 1989. That said, it’s been a wild ride that has included many highs and lows. Financially, there’s always pressure and uncertainty; and creatively, I tend to put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to innovate and not become formulaic. At times, I’ve had 6 or 7 galleries from around the world representing me, and I found the cultural and personality differences between all of the dealers to be both overwhelming and exhilarating. Survival as an artist requires far more business acumen and organizational skills than most realize; one of the greatest challenges can be managing the business half while remaining focused and inspired artistically.
Bill Thompson Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Artists tend to be repelled by the word ‘business’ when discussing their studio practice. However, I have no problem accepting the reality that what I do has a commercial element to it, because the effort and time required to market and sell my sculptures has allowed me to spend the majority of my adult life in the studio making the work I choose to make. No boss, very few restrictions, and the joy of designing and sculpting new forms – it’s a great life! Over the past thirty years, I’ve developed my own unique visual language, and it’s extremely flattering to have such an appreciative audience for such a personal vision.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I was just beginning to exhibit in Europe, my dealer from Seoul was presenting my sculptures at Art Cologne. During the fair, I was introduced to a highly respected gallerist from Barcelona who was seriously interested in my work. That night he and his wife took me to an exclusive restaurant in a huge castle on the outskirts of Cologne to formally invite me to be represented by his gallery. It was a spirited and delicious evening and I was feeling quite triumphant in this surreal setting. After so many years of pursuing galleries, the tables had finally turned and I was now being pursued. Lying in bed later that night, I felt the massive weight of so many years of intense labor being lifted off of me.
Contact Info:
- Address: Bill Thompson Studio
46 Cedric Street Roxbury, MA 02119 - Website: www.billthompsonstudio.com
- Phone: 617-645-8011
- Email: bill@billthompsonstudio.com
- Instagram: @billtstudio
Image Credit:
All photos by artist
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