Enchanted Mori | A new collection by Louis Thompson
18th October 2023
Enchanted Mori by Louis Thompson | Exhibition dates 24th October - 17th November 2023
Vessel Gallery is proud to present a brand new collection by Louis Thompson. Inspired by the practice of bonsai, Enchanted Mori echoes this ancient horticultural practice and its artistic intention to create a higher level of aesthetic refinement.
Deriving from the ancient Chinese art form of 'penjing' and later reinterpreted by the Japanese, finally resulting in the most recognised modern bonsai of today, the aesthetic goals characterised within the Japanese tradition, is to grow artistically shaped miniature trees in containers following many Japanese cultural distinctions, in particular, the influence of Zen Buddhism and the expression of Wabi-sabi.
Thompson's ambition with each artwork, using these Japanese principles as his starting point, is for the viewer to emotionally connect with what they see, to not just use their eyes to understand what is in front of them but to engage with the feelings and thoughts that are aroused and provoked.
Taking the passing of time framed within the context of twenty-four hours, each artwork symbolises the transient periods that make up each day.
In the artist's own words;
"With the transition of light, day falls into night and we pass into the abyss of a new dawn. The sun, moon and stars form shadows, colouring our perception and create an interplay between the negative and positive forms of nature, where harmony and balance coexist. This new body of work Enchanted Mori, is for moments of contemplation, reflection and contentment."
Enchanted Mori Dawn
Unique | H 63 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £8000 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Meridies
Unique | H 41 cm W 55 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £3500 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Solis
Unique | H 78 cm W 65 cm D 26 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £7200 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Dusk
Unique | H 63 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £8000 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Twilight
Unique | H 76 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £5300 | Enquire
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.
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.’
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.
Further Works by Louis Thompson
Vessel Gallery is proud to present a brand new collection by Louis Thompson. Inspired by the practice of bonsai, Enchanted Mori echoes this ancient horticultural practice and its artistic intention to create a higher level of aesthetic refinement.
Deriving from the ancient Chinese art form of 'penjing' and later reinterpreted by the Japanese, finally resulting in the most recognised modern bonsai of today, the aesthetic goals characterised within the Japanese tradition, is to grow artistically shaped miniature trees in containers following many Japanese cultural distinctions, in particular, the influence of Zen Buddhism and the expression of Wabi-sabi.
Thompson's ambition with each artwork, using these Japanese principles as his starting point, is for the viewer to emotionally connect with what they see, to not just use their eyes to understand what is in front of them but to engage with the feelings and thoughts that are aroused and provoked.
Taking the passing of time framed within the context of twenty-four hours, each artwork symbolises the transient periods that make up each day.
In the artist's own words;
"With the transition of light, day falls into night and we pass into the abyss of a new dawn. The sun, moon and stars form shadows, colouring our perception and create an interplay between the negative and positive forms of nature, where harmony and balance coexist. This new body of work Enchanted Mori, is for moments of contemplation, reflection and contentment."
Enchanted Mori Dawn
Unique | H 63 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £8000 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Meridies
Unique | H 41 cm W 55 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £3500 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Solis
Unique | H 78 cm W 65 cm D 26 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £7200 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Dusk
Unique | H 63 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £8000 | Enquire
Enchanted Mori Twilight
Unique | H 76 cm W 65 cm D 22 cm | Handblown & sculpted glass with sapele wood | £5300 | Enquire
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.
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.’
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.
Further Works by Louis Thompson