Wesley Thompson: Worry Stones
Thompson sees his work as something that stems from a multitude of mediums. He describes the body of work that makes up Worry Stones as a combination of art and craft that brings influence from fine jewelry and metalsmithing practices. The intuitive shaping of each stone is influenced by the liquid plaster forms he creates using latex balloons in addition to the natural shapes and personalities of each piece of stone material. The result is both intuitive and playful.
Through the gentle hollows of his carvings, warm interior spaces emerge that seem quiet and protective. Metal cages and sources of light and energy add an extra layer of protection, shielding the stone from physical harm and darkness. The need to be protected brings a precious liveliness to the stone, granting it the feeling of comfort and safety. With feelings such as these, it becomes easier to empathize with something inorganic and widens a contrastive gap between stone and plastic. These stones act as an antithesis of plastic, which manifests anxiety in its presence in the natural world. To regain a sense of control and balance, found plastic objects find themselves at odds with the devices meant to protect the stones.
Public viewing dates:
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, November 11, from 5–9pm
Walk All Over Waterloo First Friday: Friday, December 1, from 5–9pmThis exhibition is organized by KINK Contemporary.
MEET THE ARTIST
While Thompson began his undergrad education studying chemistry, he quickly found his way to The Myer’s School of Art. After enrolling in a Foundation 3D Design course, he discovered his true calling while learning sculpture. Thompson explains his process through his artist statement,
“In my work, material plays a significant role in the outcome of a piece. I prefer not to impose my will on a stone but rather to let it guide me. The nature of the slow reductive process allows me to “listen” to the stone and follow the structures within it and allows me to make pairings with metal and found objects. The ridges of the raw stone are often preserved as the edges of a finished carving, resulting in an almost biomorphic form. What excites me the most is the carefully engineered and designed found objects and their immediate contrast to the intuitive carving. This leads me to question the tension between organic and inorganic and how some form of harmony can be achieved. The differences between the two are where I find my sculptures, as a union between disparate materials.”
Wesley Thompson is a sculptor and current BFA Candidate at The University of Akron. His sculptures explore the balance of uncertainty and comfort and engage the contrasting nature of materials. In his senior BFA exhibition, Worry Stones, he presents a variety of three-dimensional works representing a collection of artwork made at The University of Akron’s Myers School of Art over the past year.
