Bill Thompson
b. 1957, Ipswich, Massachusetts
Inkwell, etching and aquatint with surface roll, 22 x 16 inches (image), 30 x 23 inches (sheet), 2023, edition 30
from the artist:
"As a sculptor, I tend to view everything in terms of volume and form. With two-dimensional work, I look for a way to address the physicality of the paper itself or graphically convey volume and form. For our latest etching, I wanted to revisit the vessel form of an earlier print, Relaxed Standard. Because a vessel generally holds liquid and as a nod to the printmaking medium, it was logical to imagine it filled with black ink. The title worked because of the wordplay—an implied directive to the printer—and as an echo of my youth growing up in a house full of antiques.
After the vessel plate was created, we experimented with various ways to incorporate texture into the negative space. Initially, we considered filling the background with a scan of a vintage yellowed newspaper; but I decided that it would be more conceptually accurate if the words had been generated by a quill pen. In my family’s trove of genealogical documents, I found two books containing sermons handwritten in the mid-1800’s by my great-great-grandfather, a Presbyterian minister. We scanned and doubled them up to create a denser background texture—one in which the words were still somewhat legible but not distractingly so. My mother, especially, would have been thrilled by this ancestral collaboration and rather amused that her secular son had finally embraced words delivered from a church lectern!"
Edition, etching with chine collé, 12 1/2 x 14 inches (image), 21 1/2 x 22 1/4 inches (sheet), 2015, edition 45
from the artist:
"With everything I create, my one guiding principle is that I use the least number of elements possible to make a statement. When printing, my images are generally monochromatic and feature a simple visual gesture – they tend to reflect the forms that I carve as a sculptor. After finishing a recent edition at Center Street Studio, my mind jumped track and landed upon an idea that completely eliminated the need for an image. More importantly, it embraced and broke down the basic essence of printmaking to its most elemental state. I based the idea on the fact that every print in an edition is essentially unique because of both the number change and the slight variation in the artist’s signature from print to print. Also considered was the practice of applying a hand-drawn/painted element to a print and the effect that has on its perceived value and originality.
For Edition, I gridded out the entire edition with each square containing a number, as well as squares for the BAT and printer’s/artist’s proofs. To identify and individualize each print, I circled the appropriate number using a red colored pencil. As they progress through the number sequence, the hand-drawn circles vary slightly in shape, with the red adding a chromatic accent to the black and white grid. Edition is a print of and about a print edition."
Crest, aquatint with surface roll on shaped copper plate, 30 x 35 inches (sheet), 2015, edition 30
Jig, color aquatint with surface roll printed from shaped copper plate, 25 x 19 inches (approx. image), 30 x 22 1/2 inches (sheet), 2012, edition 35
from the artist:
"With works on paper, I attempt to do things that would be difficult or impossible to realize as sculpture. This approach represents a liberation from the practical considerations of object-making and allows me to be more creatively agile with ideas. “Jig” is a perfect example of this freedom, depicting what appears to be a sculpted object that in fact, wouldn’t make any sense if it were. I am drawn to the physicality of printmaking – for this edition, the plate for “Jig” had to be hand-cut and the edges sanded to perfection. The pronounced impression in the paper, combined with the cor-ten color and darkening of tone around the edges of the shape, also contribute to the sculptural object allusion. Aiding my impulse to embrace impracticality when working on a print project is Jim’s willingness to try anything to achieve an objective. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard him say, “No, I don’t think that’s possible.”
Limbo 1, woodcut printed in colors, 27 x 21 1/2 inches (image/sheet), 2007, edition of 5 unique impressions
from the artist:
"With works on paper, I attempt to do things that would be difficult or impossible to realize as sculpture. This approach represents a liberation from the practical considerations of object-making and allows me to be more creatively agile with ideas. “The “Limbo” series is a perfect example of this freedom. It is a ‘woodcut’ where the is no cutting. The depicted sculptural shape was drawn on the wood block using automotive detailing tape to create the undulating contours. The block was then inked with color. After removing the tape, the block was then printed on a field of color previously printed on paper. Each print in the series, therefore, is a slight variation from the others prints in the edition."
GYRO, suite of three color aquatints with surface roll, image size variable, 23 x 22 1/2 inches (each sheet), edition 25, 2009
Limbo 2, woodcut printed in colors, 27 x 21 1/2 inches (image/sheet), 2007, edition of 5 unique impressions
Locus, etching and lift ground aquatint, 23 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches (image), 30 x 29 1/2 inches (sheet), 2002, edition 30
To Say, To Do, aquatint, 22 x 22 inches (image), 32 x 31 1/2 inches (sheet), 1999, edition 25
Reformed Square, aquatint, 18 x 18 inches (image), 25 x 24 1/2inches (sheet), 1999, edition 25
Speicher's Rush, color woodcut, 15 x 15 inches (image) 26 x 25 inches (sheet), 1997, edition 21
Specter II, color woodcut, 12 x 12 inches (image), 20 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches (sheet), 1997, edition 35
Specter Black, color woodcut, 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches (image), 15 x 18 inches (sheet)
1997, edition 18
Pique-nique, woodcut, 23 x 23 inches (image), 32 x 31 1/2 inches (sheet), 1996, edition 15
Almanac, suite of 4 color woodcuts, 9 x 9 inches each (image), 20 1/4 x 19 inches (sheet), 1997, edition 22
Sea Level, aquatint, 24 x 12 inches (image), 29 1/2 x 21 inches (sheet), 1994, edition 15
Above 10, aquatint with chine collé, 8 x 8 inches (image), 9.5 x 8 inches (sheet), 1993, edition 20
Relaxed Standard, aquatint, 23 x 23 inches (image), 32 x 31 1/2 inches (sheet), 1996, edition 15
Reservoir, aquatint with chine collé, 8 x 8 inches (image), 9 1/2 x 8 inches (sheet), 1993, edition 20
Lift, aquatint with chine collé, 8 x 8 inches (image), 9 1/2 x 8 inches (sheet), 1993, edition 20
Selected Collections
Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA
Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
List Visual Arts Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
New York Public Library, NY
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA