Terri Thomas
Spines: Emanation & Reflection, 2020, mixed medium, installation for Facebook AIR program
Photo by @wiseknave
Describe your artistic style in three words.
Conceptual. Performative. “Like-Water” (a quote by Bruce Lee on the notion of style).
What's inspiring you right now?
This beautiful spring weather! …Nature in general, is bringing me a sense of wonder, peace and balance during this crazy pandemic. Lately, I’ve been inspired to write and do research. I’m gaining some clarity with a project I’ve been working on which is encouraging, and I’m always grateful for the constant stream of ideas.
What do you do when you're feeling uninspired?
I rarely find myself feeling uninspired. I usually feel like I’m running out of time! Even in the middle of the night, I’m problem solving. If I’m not working to an artistic deadline or working something out in my head – I’m experimenting or building something. Home renovations, designing landscape, planting plants, stucco repair, tiling/grouting, house painting, making gifts… as a home owner and maker, the desire to create is endless. For me, 'making' is for the sake of discovery, which may lead to an artistic inquiry or inform a material practice. I’m typically pretty curious and motivated.
Tell us something unique about your process.
My work embraces Performativity as a means to reveal hidden aspects of the Self, the Other and the world we inhabit.
Inquiry-based, self-generative and self-referential, my work uses character-creation to side-step personal identity. The staged-body, performance of gender & pleasure, act as a feminist politic (a stand for female assertion & autonomy). Also, my work is intended to act as a mirror to reflect ambiguities, complexities or contradictions, to allow the viewer to grapple.
Painting is performative in the sense that I use specific formal elaborations as a language to deepen narratives or to contextualize the work for commentary. If I paint realistically for example, I may be trying to seat the work in a specific art historic context or that I’m interested in the idea of Verisimilitude.
Performative sculpture/Installations are personified, emerging, affective and relational – where unsuspecting spectators become the art ...'performative' players.
What advice do you have for other artists?
I’m typically not one to give advice. For years, successful artists and others have recommended that One should pursue that which they’re naturally good at. While I understand the value of being in the flow, refining or capitalizing on one’s abilities, I tend to make things harder on myself. I challenge & question everything with the intention of pursuing growth, actuality or creative freedom. But one of these days, if I could discern what I’m naturally best at, I hope to give this advice a try.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Thank you: Leslie Moody Castro (curator) for the invitation to participate in this year's FB AIR Program; Facebook's AIR project facilitator, @wiseknave for the above photo documentation; Seth Schwaiger, Andrea Hyland & Asa Hursh (curators) for Austin Art Alliance's ARTBASH; Zac Traeger (Director of MoHA) for all the opportunities; Scott Stark for the enriching collaboration; and Big Medium, for taking the awesome risk with my 2014 PB exhibit and for this feature of my work.
Spines: Emanation & Reflection, 2020, mixed medium, installation for Facebook AIR program
Photo by @wiseknave
Spine Project, 2018-2020, mixed medium
Spine of Revolt & Spine of Hope, 2018, primer, house paint on linen and cotton canvas, 90 x 90”
Spine of Light_white, 2019, jute, bark, wood, acrylic and LED, 50 x 90”
Metamemesis, 2014, video still of clown and bikini babe
Metamemesis: The Calamity of Plato’s Looking Glass, 2014, installation for MoHA’s Tap the Glass exhibit
Bravadoa: expanded cinema project at MoHA, 2017, collaboration with filmmaker Scott Stark
Dreamscape Lounge, 2015, video, photo and sculpture installation for ARTBASH & Dreamscape Loungers
Claim Your Birthright, 2014, photo doc and Vimeo video still of the closing performance to the exhibit, Pillowbook as Inheritance, at Big Medium Gallery
Thomas graduated from the Corcoran College of Art + Design with honors and a specialty in painting. She has had solo exhibitions in Chelsea NY, Washington DC, Houston TX and Austin TX. In addition, her work has been shown internationally in Italy, Germany, Thailand, China, Ukraine, Venezuela and Mexico.