Phyllis Thompson, Evolving Memories Opening Reception: Friday, January 26, 2024 from 5:00–8:00 PM
Part of M&T Fourth Fridays at Tri-Main
Buffalo Arts Studio presents Phyllis Thompson’s new exhibition, Evolving Memories, a survey of work from Thompson’s 50-year career as an artist and educator. Evolving Memories traces four aesthetic and conceptual threads rooted in the 1970s and 1980s that run through much of Thompson’s work. The themes embedded in nearly five decades of work come from Thompson’s childhood memories, experiences with family and friends, and imagined histories with ancestors the artist has only met through photographs. Thompson’s memories are supported by artifacts she has collected, spaces she has lived in, and places she has visited.
During the early 1970s, Thompson created prints that focused on both the patterns and the imperfections found in the materials used to construct the urban landscape. Thompson went on to explore the tension between “art” and “craft” by blurring the distinction between drawing, sewing, and weaving. The second body of work features surfaces completely covered in disciplined, rhythmic marks recalling textiles. The third set of works charts a distinct shift in Thompson’s mark-making; the use of the circle and circular forms made by stamping. The circles are full of personal significance, referencing the yo-yos Thompson’s grandmother made. The last set of works begins around 2000 after Thompson found a box of old photographs under her mother’s bed. Thompson embraced these photos and added representational imagery into her work, learning to make plates from photographs as well as from artifacts, including fabric scraps, doilies, and her beloved yo-yos.
Evolving Memories is on display from January 26–March 1, 2024, with an opening reception on Friday, January 26, 5:00–8:00 pm.
This exhibition was made possible, in part, with a 2023 NYSCA Support for Artist Grant administered by Arts Services Inc.
