An interview with the artist, Paul Thompson.

 

By Lee Anderson.

  

“Imagine Standing on the surface of an atom with a magnifying glass in your hand, or for that matter a telescope”.

 

Paul Thompson’s work essentially is about the world, the environment and what makes us who we are. In his work he attempts to view the environment, the world and the cosmos from different vantage points. He imagines seeing the world trough the eyes of other creatures in order to seek other right answers. Also he seeks to gain a greater understanding of our existence. He often uses images that he has discovers from the observations he has made through microscopes, telescopes and other optical devices.

 

In Paul’s paintings he uses a limited pallet of three or four colours. By mixing and blending vibrant complementary colours with different reactive chemicals he creates powerful dynamic images. But as well as paints and other wet media he also uses a compilation of photography, digital manipulation, collage and photomontage in his artwork. He then commences with a battle where he tries to manipulate the free flowing fluidity of the media. This process represents our struggle to maintain the ecology of our environment.

 

LA. “Why do you use so many different mediums to create your work?”

 

PT. “I have always been a painter, but at times painting cannot always say everything that I need to in my art. About twenty years ago I was studying for a B-Tech National Diploma in graphic arts when I became seriously interested in photography and how I could use lights in my art. So I studied for a HND in Photography. While I was studying I read a book called (How to Take Good Pictures, by Kodak). One of the tips in the book was “when composing your picture get as close to your subject as possible, then and then gradually move away from the subject, until you compose the image that you want in your frame”. This got me thinking how close could I actually get to my subject? and what would I see. So I became interested in micro & macro photography. When I began experimenting I discovered alien worlds that existed alongside our own that I never knew existed. This opened up whole new vistas for me. I began to see my environment and what makes us who we are from a completely new perspective”.

 

LA. “If you studied for a HND in photograph why did you also do a BA (Hon’s) in fine art?”

 

P T. “I didn’t graduate with the HND in photography, it was a means to an end. I wanted to learn the technical side of photography painting with light and digital art. The HND course allowed me to do this. The HND was vastly different from the degree course in fine art. The HND was a commercial course. I learned many useful things from this course that was not possible to cover in the (BA Hons) in fine art. For example I learned how to Price my work, I learned about copyright law and how to protect my work, how to talk to clients and a whole lot of other stuff, that not only applies to photography but to the entire visual arts market”.

 

LA. “So what did you gain from doing a degree in fine art?”

 

P T. “Fine art was a voyage of self-discovery for me. I came to terms with my own artistic practice. I discovered why we make art and why it is so important in a civilized society”. By studying the history of art and the role it has played throughout the history of mankind, I came to realize that the arts are one of the major foundations of the civilized world. We only have to take a look around us to realize that art and design is everywhere”.

 

LA. “How has studying the history of art helped you as a contemporary artist?”

 

P T. “It explained how the arts have influenced society in the twenty first century. This helped me define my role as a contemporary artist”.

 

LA. “How do images beyond the range of our eyes influence your work?”

 

P T “There is more to our existence than we are visually aware of in day-to-day life. Without the development of optics, in particular photography, we would never be aware of some of the things that exist around us that have an impact on our lives. I have found that sometimes these images are perfect for expressing my thoughts and feelings about the world around us and what makes us who we are”.

 

LA. “What other mediums do you use to create your art?”

 

“When I was studying art A Level one of my art teachers said that we should never take something at its face value, explore it and milk it for all that its worth. The word photography comes from the ancient Greek language meaning “painting with light.” I took the meaning of photography literally and began to think of painting with light in a much broader sense. I began to study special effects, the nature of light and what it does, and how it behaves under certain conditions and how it can change the mood of the environment. I started to work out how I could use I could use the different qualities of light in my arts. I became interested in microscopes, telescopes and other optics. I studied everything I could that existed beyond the range of our eyes. As well as studio, workshop, model making and set building I also use Photoshop and other digital software. I incorporate all of these things into my art at from time to time”.

 

LA. Do you ever use books as source material for your work?

 

PT. I try not to but sometimes it is not possible to find images to work with. All artists borrow images, if they didn’t they would never get any work done. Of course discovering images for yourself gives you much more creative freedom. It allows you to play with, manipulate and explore things in different ways, and from vantage points, where-as borrowed images don’t give me this freedom

 

Paul’s work is created in the spirit of the Abstract Expressionists and the Surreal. The images use powerful colours, chemical reactions, and swirling vortexes, as well as many images that exist beyond the range of the human eye He brings these images into everyday context by juxtaposing them with familiar objects. They are images that provoke a sense of excitement.