Bill Thompson

An interview with cover artist Bill Thompson in the June issue of Sculpture Magazine, by Christopher Hart Chambers. 

Bill Thompson makes easy (on the eye) relief sculpture the hard way. He starts with a two-dimensional shape rendered onto a block of polyurethane. Then he digs at, and smooths down, the block with power tools. After the form has been further finished by hand, the artist applies up to 20 coats of auto paint (glossy, with tiny sparkles) in colors made to order.

What follows is a list of fall gallery shows worldwide that we feel should not be missed. Making it onto the list was not easy; our selection was culled from hundreds of upcoming exhibitions. But we add the caveat that we could only choose from those that had been scheduled by our midsummer press deadline. That said, we’re sure these will delight you and keep you up-to-date.

Bill Thompson at Margaret Thatcher Projects, October 25–December 22

Paradox ripples through Bill Thompson's luscious objects much like their brilliant, seductive surfaces shift and distort reflected images. They are mysterious and beautiful. There is something alien, yet entirely familiar about them.

In a city known more for its colonial history than for contemporary art, local artist Bill Thompson makes contributions to the field that'll take you way off the Freedom Trail. At his exhibition “Dialects,” on view at Barbara Krakow Gallery until next Wednesday, works like Loop (2007)—a shiny green form that is not as 3-D as a cube, not as flat as a rectangle, and has rounded edges that give relevance to its title—seem to reinvent shapes.

Minimalist artists Peter Weber and Bill Thompson create accessible art by deceptively
simple means. Both artists have a singularly controlled vision defined by visually
compelling abstract elements that send an immediate message. There is nothing in the
art of either left to chance. That the works are well crafted and fully resolved adds to
their soothing yet stimulating effect; the finish alone inspires admiration. As one
observes each piece, the inventive elaboration involved in the choices made by each
artist illuminates the scope and uniqueness of his inspired creative endeavor.