There are many opportunities to experience culture and art
in Brighton. However, that doesn’t mean the quality and innovation of new works
ever falters, a case in point being the raw emotion showcased in Thompson Hall’s
latest paintings now being shown at Regency Town House.
The paintings showcase Hall’s feelings about the
claustrophobia of London, in comparison to the open spaces and sea air of
Brighton. His observational sketches are presented on the top floor and we can
see his thought process as he decides what to emphasise in his abstract,
colourful works. The use of various sizes of canvas shows the dedication taken
to make every ‘home’ imagined, unique, allowing us to gravitate to the ones we
feel are like our own homes, especially as the Regency Town House is empty. We
want to find the home Regency Town House cannot provide.
A motif of windows symbolises a portal into, and out of,
these other homes. Large, various windows of the yellow-stained homes are
reminiscent of the community only just outside, whilst tentacles forcing
themselves through windows in other paintings, is haunting. Homes are sometimes
only houses: they can be places of fear, of sadness, and the sheer mass of
paintings on display makes you realise these two terms could switch at any
moment. The paintings are seemingly unfinished, with white patches towards the
bottom of some and brush strokes obvious, but this only adds to the abstract
nature of these houses, reminding us that everyone in the room around us will
relate to one of them, making us appreciate our own lives (or the desire to
dream about a window we want to go through). He commented at last nights ‘In
Conversation’ event at the Old Market, that this was an especially rewarding commission
as this year’s theme of ‘Home’ was his most ambiguous project yet.It can be
proudly said that the artist truly explores the term (and proves his
worth), making us ponder as to what exactly turns a house into a home.
Thompson’s Halls artwork, along with the other two
commissioned works, are open now until 29th May in various
locations. The full brochure for the festival can be found here, whilst the
most recent updates can be found on Twitter, through #ThompsonHall,
@HOUSE_Festival, and @OutsideIn_UK. The piece is part of
the HOUSE 2016 Visual Arts Festival, which has been running since 2008 with the
aim of offering commissions for contemporary artists (and for the public to
experience more contemporary art too). This year saw a collaboration with
Outside In, who provide a platform for artists who normally face barriers to
the art world for a wide variety of reasons. Through Outside In, Thompson Hall,
as someone with a learning disability, was commissioned for this work.
Thankyou to Laurence
Hill for editing.
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