Dolly Thompsett, Star Flow, 2010, oil, acrylic, spray paint, pencil, onyx powder, glitter, gel on linen. Courtesy of the artist.
Dolly Thompsett
New Paintings
11 September - 7 November 2010
ArtSway presents an exhibition of ten new paintings by ArtSway Open 09 winner Dolly Thompsett. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new fully illustrated publication featuring the artist’s work, with new writing on her work by Barry Schwabsky and Nick de Ville, published by ArtSway and generously funded by London Metropolitan University and Goldsmiths.
Dolly Thompsett creates sensuous, intricate paintings by building up layers of paint interspersed with glassy resin laminates that allow images to weave through the surface of the canvases. Her detailed rendering of people and objects, mysterious atmospheres and glistening textures are inspired by the high-gloss of Hollywood movies and the traditions of Romantic painting.
By taking as their starting point photographs of both historical and recent events where ordinary people are overcome by extraordinary circumstances, her paintings articulate a moment of transformation or transcendence filtered through the artist’s own experiences. Layering together special effects to express a sense of epiphany, each of Thompsett’s works is rendered intimate through her use of paint, and familiar through her sampling of popular visual culture.
Thompsett’s new paintings of intensely charged moments are set against the ‘eternal’ nature of the universe, and are also reflections on the limitations of representational painting. Dark voids, celestial sweeps and misty phosphorescence engulf traces of narrative within her work. In her visionary worlds the conceptual, the psychological and the social are transformed and figures melt, fade and dematerialize within grand, fantastical landscapes.
Dolly Thompsett Biography
Dolly Thompsett was born in 1969 in London. She trained at Byam Shaw (MA Fine Art, 2000) and Goldsmiths College (Practice based PhD Fine Art, 2004).
She has had solo shows at Ritter/Zamet (2009 and 2005) and Fred [London] Gallery (2007). Recent group exhibitions include The Jerwood Drawing Prize (2008/9), Golden Record (2009, touring), Aspex, (2007), Salon Nouveau, Engholm Englehorn, Vienna (2007), The Wonderful Fund Collection on Tour, Pallant House, Chichester, Museum of Marrakech (2006) and When I lived in Modern Times, Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art (2006).
About ArtSway’s Open
ArtSway’s Open aims to reflect the range of activity artists use today. ArtSway places no restrictions on content or choice of media and artists are encouraged to enter examples that best reflects their current practice and artistic direction. In 2009 ArtSway received almost 600 entries for the Open, with the winner, Dolly Thompsett, receiving a prize of a solo exhibition at the gallery, with full curatorial, mentoring and marketing support for her exhibition. Past selectors for ArtSway’s Open exhibitions include: Michael Stanley (Director, Modern Art Oxford), Camilla Brown (Senior Curator, The Photographers’ Gallery) and Amanda Farr (Director, Oriel Davies Gallery).
Private View and Gallery Talk: Dolly Thompsett in Conversation with Peter Bonnell
Saturday 11 September 2010 at 3pm
Dolly Thompsett, winner of ArtSway Open 09, will discuss her new series of paintings and inspirations, such as Hollywood film and Romantic art, with ArtSway Curator Peter Bonnell. FREE: All Welcome.
Publication Launch
Saturday 11 September 2010 at 4pm
Join us for the official launch of a new publication of works by Dolly Thompsett, made possible with generous funding from London Metropolitan University and Goldsmiths. This new publication, published by ArtSway, will feature texts by Barry Schwabsky, Nick de Ville, and also a conversation between Dolly Thompsett, Chris Smith and Neil Ferguson. FREE: All Welcome.
Art in Context: Philosophy: What is (the point of) philosophical aesthetics?
Dr Alex Neill, Reader in Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Southampton
Wednesday 6 October 2010 at 7pm
The abstract expressionist painter Barnett Newman once remarked, "Aesthetics is for artists what ornithology is for birds." Was he right? In this talk, Alex Neill will outline some of the main issues and areas of thought in philosophical aesthetics, the philosophy of art, with a view to showing that Newman was wrong – that collaboration and discussion between artists and philosophers of art could be valuable for both.
FREE: Booking Essential.
Portfolio Day: Painting
Monday 11 October 2010, 10am - 4pm
A portfolio day specifically aimed at painters with ten half-hour slots for artists from all backgrounds for critiques, portfolio reviews and career advice from ArtSway Curator Peter Bonnell and ArtSway Open 09 winner Dolly Thompsett. COST: £5 per person. Booking Essential.
To book a place on the above event please contact Jack Lewis on 01590 682260 (ext.6) or email: jack.lewis@artsway.org.uk