Artist: Samuel Thompson
Samuel Thompson, WISCONSIN
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My work is thrown on a potters wheel as well as constructed using hand building techniques. I deliberately leave evidence of my hand in each piece by creating intuitive marks into the clay. My surfaces are inspired by early 20th century minimalism and painters associated with Bauhaus, while my forms are influenced by early traditional Korean and Japanese functional pottery. I build visually intriguing layers on each pot's surface through texture, layering of slips, and painterly brush strokes. My surfaces consist of a thin white slip poured or dipped over red or brown clay. I then fire to cone 5/6 with the addition of pops of colorful underglaze and a final coating of clear glaze.
EDUCATION
Maine College of Art, Bachelors in Fine Art, Ceramics 2013
EXHIBITIONS
2020 Penland School of Arts and Crafts Winter resident. Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
2019 Cup The Intimate Object XV, Charley Cummings Gallery, TN
Art Fair on the Square, Madison Museum of Contemporary art, Maddison, WI
Artist at the Lake Front Festival of the Arts, Milwaukee Museum of Fine Art, WI
Secura Fine art show at the Trout Museum of Fine Art, Appleton, WI
American Craft Council emerging artist, St Paul, MN
2018 One of a Kind Show, Chicago, ll,
Makers Fair, James May Gallery, WI
Shapes of Influence, SAA, Springfield Il,
Working Pots 3, James May Gallery, WI
Kansas City Swing show, Kansas City MS
One of a Kind Show, Chicago Il.
2017 Cup The Intimate Object XIII, Invited artist, Charlie Cummings Gallery, TN
Creative Hands Gallery, Cape Cod MA,
Working Pots 2, James May Gallery, WI
2016 Irons In the Fire Exhibition, The Companion Gallery, TN
Working Pots, Purchaser Award, James May Gallery, WI
2015 Art Prov Gallery at NCECA 49, Providence, RI
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Wood Walk Gallery, Door County, WI -2019
The James May Gallery, Algoma, WI -2018
Creative Hands Gallery. Sandwich, MA -2016
The Museum of Wisconsin Art. West Bend, WI -2019
EXPERIENCE AND WORKSHOPS
INTRO AND ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS TEACHER, 2019 - current, Teaching introduction to throwing and hand building functional ceramics at Mud and Prints art studio in Appleton Wisconsin.
NORTH CAROLINA INTERNATIONAL WOOD FIRE CONFERENCE, 2017
Assisted with building, loading, and firing wood kilns at Josh Copus’s studio for the International wood fire conference.
ST CROIX POTTERY TOUR, 2017
Assisted with Bandana Pottery at the St. Croix Pottery tour at Linda Christiansen’s stop on the
tour.
PART TIME STUDIO ASSISTANT TO BANDANA POTTERY, 2016 - 2017
Assist with wood prep, cleaning and prepping kilns, loading kilns and firing kilns, making clay, making plates and trays, pricing and inventory.
TEACHING ASSISTANT, Maine College of Art, 2014 - 2016
Assisting students in loading and firing gas kilns. Helping faculty teach intro to wheel throwing. Helping the ceramics majors with any general questions they have.
FULL TIME STUDIO MANAGER, Maine College of Art, 2013 - 2016
Work includes, making clay, formulating and making glazes and slips. Firing gas kilns and electric kilns as well as repairing them. Fixing malfunctioning electric wheels. Taking inventories of all clay and glaze materials. Building and placing orders as well as organizing and putting away deliveries.
STUDIO TECHNICIAN, Portland Pottery, 2013
Loaded and fired kilns both gas and electric. Clean and manage the studio.