Artist Statement
I see my sculpture as a juncture between physical and conceptual form. I am interested in the perception of the nature of things- like truth, clarity, and power. My objects are a metaphor for this inquiry. My sculpture is an attempt to create a point of reference in a non-referential environment, so that the viewer senses a heightened connection to a larger humanity.
My approach is largely an intuitive one, based on the visceral sense of understanding that is felt in meaningful work. It is also grounded in the satisfaction of doing something well, investing oneself in a process, so that the resulting sculpture seems to become somehow self-possessed, generating its own sense of meaning.
Joseph Thompson grew up in Athens, Georgia, and attended The University of Georgia during an extended undergraduate career, during which he worked as a carpenter and woodworker.
He later taught as an elementary art instructor for several years, and then went on to complete his MFA in sculpture through Clemson University.
Thompson taught in and later chaired the Visual Arts Department at The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities for 22 years. He also contributes to The University of Georgia Studies Abroad Program as a visiting professor, in Cortona, Italy.
Education
MFA
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, (Sculpture), 1998
BSA Ed.
University of Georgia, Athens Georgia, (Art Education), 1990
Teaching Experience
2004- Present
Sculpture Faculty at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts
2004- 2018
Visual Arts Department Chair at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts
Summer 2003, Fall 2006, Summer 2009
Sculpture Faculty, University of Georgia Studies Abroad program, Cortona, Italy