Commissioning Taxonomy by Louis Thompson

25th May 2023

BROWSE NEWS

Commissioning Taxonomy
by Louis Thompson

With a long standing interest in the processes of archiving & collecting, Thompson’s ‘Taxonomy’ installations draw upon ideas relating to scientific research, classification, DNA and sequencing.

Each series of Taxonomy consists of a series of ‘bottles’ (this term is loosely used, as each are in fact solid with no access to what is held within) that are a unique combination of many characteristics; size, quantity, translucency, colour, shape and most importantly, the encased contents; that are often reminiscent of the double helix, the physical structure of DNA.

As well as creating new artworks for sale, Thompson can also work to commission. The sets below have all sold but give some idea of the scope that can be achieved. Please contact the gallery for further information.

Further reading about the artist;

Accomplished glass artist Louis Thompson explores illusion and the perceptions of glass, fascinated by the haptic experience in art and sculpture. He works with molten glass, sometimes sabotaging the material: twisting, creasing, buckling and collapsing the glass. The works have underlying themes of the human body; sensuous, tactile, echoing folds, curves and creases. With simplicity and purity of materials, he plays with the viewers’ comprehension of what is put before them, often creating collections of objects where the dialogue and relationship between each element is as essential as the collective composition.

Thompson has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, USA and Japan. In 2012 Thompson received two prestigious awards in the UK: British Glass Biennale Winner and the Jerwood Foundation Makers Commission. He has been invited to create installations for various museums and international exhibitions and his work is held in permanent museum collections in Belgium, Germany, Japan, Czech Republic, the USA and the V&A Museum in London. Thompson has completed International residencies at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, The Glazenhuis Museum in Belgium and most recently at Soneva Art Glass in the Maldives.

In his own words;

“My work is concerned with ideas of repetition, sequence and multiples. This stems from a fascination with the idea of collections: multiples that record and archive history from medical apparatus to the scientific aesthetic of research and inquiry. My glass works examine material volume, weight, and ambiguity, are they solid or liquid, full or empty? My pieces pose questions about the material and the idea of function, playing with the viewers’ perception to examine what is real and not real.”

Further artworks by Louis Thompson | Photography by Ester Segarra, Agata Pec & courtesy of the artist

Example Artworks

Archive of DNA: Allel 1 D7S820a Top | H 47 cm W 80 cm D 12 cm
Archive of DNA: Allel 1 D7S820b Middle | H 42 cm W 80 cm D 12 cm
Archive of DNA: Allel 1 D7S820c Bottom | H 42 cm W 76 cm D 12 cm

Archive DNA System Allel 1 & 2 Penta D TH01
H 47 cm W 350 cm D 14 cm | The largest commission to date consisting of 35 elements

Archive DNA System Allel 1 & 2 Penta D TH01
Details

Archive of DNA: D7S820 Allel 1
H 42 cm W 77 cm D 11 cm

Archive of DNA: vWA Allel 2 Left | H 41 cm W 74 cm D 11 cm
Archive of DNA: D7S820 Allel 2 Right | H 40 cm W 73 cm D 10 cm

Sigmund Freuds Dream Archive: Case's 576 - 587
H 29 cm W 85 cm D 12 cm