Contemporary American Ceramics: from the Dean Thompson Collection
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Contemporary American Ceramics: From the Dean Thompson Collection July 24 - Aug. 31, 1994 Johnson County Community College • Gallery ofArt Contempora1y American Ceramics: that he was '·fascinated by Takamori's From th e Dean Th omp so n Collec tion sensual, graphi c images and sculptural forms." Thomp son's initial pur chases , On my first visit to Dean Thompson's combined with his involvement at the London apartment in 1981, I was struck Art Institute, ignited his interest in by the range and quality of the ceramic formin g a collection of co ntemporary and glass works that he had collected. American ceramics. By 1986, as a col His apartment was filled with art. Floor lector for more than 20 yea rs, he was to ceiling glass shelves displayed brightly kee nly awa re of the compl exity of col colored and ecce ntrically shaped works by Clarice Cliff Equally arresting were lecting contemporary art. Undaunted, severely reductive vessels by Keith he began to pur sue major wo rks by Murray, stylized Rene Lalique vases, artists such as Betty Woodman, Ken richly enameled Faure pieces , Geo rg Price, Richard DeVore, Beatrice Wood, Jensen silver and delicately colored Toshiko Takaez u, Kenneth Ferguson pate-de-verre works by G. Argy-Roussea u and Adrian Saxe. Thompson was once and Almeric Walter. I quickly realized again immersed in a transformation of that Thompson was utterly obsessed his collection and home. Belove d pieces with art. After accompanying him to from the first half of the 20th centur y various galleries, antique markets and we re sent to auction. In their place , he museums, I left London, a bit dazed but installed works by living artists - many thoroughly fascinated with his passion of whom he had visited with or come and spirit for collecting art. to know as friend s. Tos hiko Takaezu , Form #.l5, 1990, stonewa re. Thompso n had emba rked on the Tneco llection that dazzled me in 40" x 15" x 15". Pboto: Mic/Jae/ Zagalik London co nsisted prim arily of wo rks formation of a personal collect ion that created betwee n 1900 and 1940. It captur es the diversity, energy and con rep rese nted esse ntially a seco nd phase ceptu al concerns of late 20th-centur y in Thomp son's collecting history. His artists working in clay. While he has earlier interest in 19th-centur y Art primarily acquired works related to the Nouvea u wo rks (especially Galle and vesse l-oriented tradition of the contem Daum glass) had waned, and he had porary clay movement, his collection large ly diveste d himse lf of these pieces also includes major sculptur al pieces by in order to finance new acquisitions - Viola Frey and Ken Price. In this way , a practice not uncommon among collec the collection addresses one of the tors. Although he was not trained in art central concerns of many clay artists of or art history, Thomp son, through the past few decades - namely, that museum visits, reading and friendships content and the artist, not the medium with other collectors, had deve loped a or any perceived function, should serve kee n eye for art. He also deve loped a as the criteria in labe ling wo rks of art. profound respec t for certain art dealers, As he looks ahead to the 21st centwy , individuals who genero usly shared their Thompson·s enthusiasm for contempo time and expertise and who helped him rary ceramics remains unabashed, and refine his own sensibility. He frequ ented he is avidly acquiring works by both galleries, flea markets and auction established and emerging a1tists. houses throug hout Europe in search of It is a pleasure to be able to publicly cove ted works. Al<io Taka mori, Sbadow , 1989. porce lain, exhibit selected works from his collec l9 W' x l6 W' x 9W '. Pboto: Micbae / Zaga/ik With his retirement from Amoco tion, and we are dee ply appreciative Corporation in 1986 and his subsequent of Dean Thompson's generosity. His relocation to Kansas City, Thompson the studio. Thompson quickly became an co llection is not only a celeb ration of enrolled in a ceramics course at the enthusiastic advocate of the works of the the achieve ments of contempora1y Kansas City Att Institute. Initially, he institute faculty, alumni and students. He artists working in clay, but it is also a hope d only to become more familiar also bega n to purchase their works. tribute to his vision and discernm ent as with technical processes and terms. As early as 1983, Thompson a collector. Within wee ks, howeve r, he was happily had acquir ed a major work by Akio ensconced in the ceramics department, Takamori, a distinguished graduate of Bruce Hartman oftentimes spending five hours a day in the Kansas City Art Institute. He reca lls Directo,~ Gallery qfAr t Beatrice Wood , Untitled, 1986, earthenware, lusters, 18%" x 8". Adrian Saxe, &!{ore and Aj ie1'.·Come on Baby! Ligh t M:VFire JC{ydrant, 1993, Pboto: Jlllichael Zaga! ik porcelain, seed pod, glass, plastic, 30" x 12" x 9". Pboto: Jlllicbael ZagCtlik Betty Woodman , Kiwi Pillow Pitcher , 1980, glazed w hitewa re, Ken Price, Crank , 1988, eanhenwa re, acrylic paint. l OW' x 16" x 11". 16" x 20" x 13". Photo: Micha el ZagCtlik Photo: MicbCtel ZagCt!ik Roselin e Del isle, Triptyque 50, 1988, Ken Price, Untitled, 1980, glazed earthenware , 8" x 15" x 7". porce lain , 11" x 4Y2". Photo: Mic/Jae! Zaga!ik Photo: Michael Zaga!ik Exhibition Checklist Richard DeVore Bea trice Wood Untitled Vessel, c. 1979 Untitled Vase, 1986 11 Viola Frey ston ewa re, 15" x 12" x lOY2 ea rthenwa re, luste rs, 183,4"x 8" Bird Buddha , 1982 Richa rd DeVore Akio Takamori glazed eart henwa re, 65" x 20" x 16" Bowl, 1988 Shadow, 1989 11 11 Viola Frey stonewa re, lOY2 x 14" por celain, 19W' x 16W' x 9Y2 Platter , 1980 Toshiko Takaez u Jun Kaneko glazed wh itewa re, 25Y211 diameter Form #15, 1990 Oval Platter, 1987 Betty Woodman stoneware, 40" x 15" x 15" ston ewa re, 251/,;" x 20W' Kiwi Pillow Pitcher , 1980 Robert Turner Jun Kaneko glazed whitewa re , 16" x 20" x 13" Red Ije, 1980 Oval Platter, c. 1987 Betty Woodman stonewa re , lOW' x 63/s" ston ewa re, 24W' x 20W' Ostia, 1986 Kenneth Ferguson Thom Bohn ert 11 glazed earthenwa re, 26Y2 x 17" x 7" Adam and Eve Platter, 1985 Untitled, c. 1983 Ken Price ston ewa re, 22W' diam eter por ce lain, woo d, wire, 27W' x 4W' Untitled, 1980 Adrian Saxe Chris Gustin glazed ear thenware , 8" x 15" x 7" Untitled Bowl , 1986 Ewer, 1985 Ken Price porcelain and raku , 9W' x lOW' ston ewa re, 20Y2"x 12" x 7Y211 Crank , 1988 Adrian Saxe Rob Barnard earthenware , acrylic paint, La Tour Akan Teapot , 1984 Cylind er, 1987 lOW' x 16" x 11" 11 porcelain , 123/s"x 73/,;" ea rthenwa re, 9" x 4Y2 Roseline Delisle Adrian Saxe Mark Pharis Trilogie 14, 1988 Soy Bottle, 1988 11 Before and After: Come on Baby! porcelain , lOW' x 6 11 11 11 Light My Fire Hydrant, 1993 ea rthenwa re, 9Y2 x 12Y2 x 2Y2 Roseline Delisle porc elain, see d pod, glass, plastic, Cover: Richard DeVore Triptyque 50 , 1988 30" x 12" x 9" Untitled Vessel, c. 1979 porce lain , 11" x 4W' stoneware , 15" x 12" x lOY2" Adrian Saxe Ph oto: Bret Gustctfson Peter Voulkos Untitl ed Ewer, 1991 Johnson County Community College Untitled, 1981 porce lain, found glass dan gle, Cultural Education Center stoneware , 22" diamete r l 6W1 x 10" 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210-1299 .