Mark Thompson

Biography

Darwin born Mark Thompson has an extensive career as a painter and ceramic sculptor, and as an event and theatre designer. In 1975 Mark became established as a successful sculptor with his work collected, published and represented in 25 State and public Art Museums including The National Gallery of Australia. In 1984 he began designing for live performance and has worked across all art forms; opera, music theatre, circus, dance and theatre, as well as corporate/event designer. Mark has been the Artistic Director at JamFactory; Curator of Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of South Australia; Head of Department for Production and Design at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and continues his event and theatrical work on a freelance basis.

"As a theatre practitioner and painter, fields of research and discovery are as serendipitous as life. A curiosity for the strange and bizarre coupled with a need to examine and explain the human condition leads one into the realm of the extraordinary. Recent events in this world demand some kind of contextualisation and the scattered symbols are signifiers of a world view.

My professional production design practice, amalgamated with investigations into theatre and costume design, historical art practice and social comment, has led to several areas of creative investigation. These all inform current works based on identifiable iconography, both international and Australian in origin."

Mark Thompson, 2017

DESIGNER (EXHIBITIONS / PUBLICATION / CONSULTANCY)

Mark Thompson has designed more than 50 exhibitions for the Art Gallery of South Australia and the JamFactory Gallery, Adelaide including: Leonardo da Vinci - Anatomical Drawings from the Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, Visions After Light, Adelaide AD 1881, Image and Idea - British Contemporary Ceramics, One Man’s Vision - Odilon Redon, The Cinzano Glass Collection, The World of Edward Hopper (1982 Adelaide Festival), Treasures of the Forbidden City, Bustles and Beaus - A History of Fashion in South Australia, Goya’s Los Caprichos, Wassily Kandinsky, Japan - Idemitsu Collection, Italian Old Master Prints, The Entombed Warriors, International Photography, 4000 years of Rings and Arthur Boyd.

For the Art Gallery of South Australia and other publishers, Mark Thompson’s Publication Design credits include: The World of Edward Hopper, Leonardo da Vinci Catalogue, Italian Old Masters Printers, Recent Australian Painting and Omnibus Books – Australia.

Mark Thompson has provided consultancy to the History Trust of South Australia, National Trust of South Australia, Maritime Museum of South Australia and Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.

For the Government of South Australia, he designed/developed and supervised overseas trade fairs, including the Asian Trade Fair.

Mark Thompson designed and supervised the installation/fit of restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore for the Igors Restaurant Group, Hong Kong.

ART DIRECTION / GRAPHIC DESIGN

Graphic Design credits include campaigns for Crafts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, State Opera of South Australia, State Theatre Company of South Australia, International Cultural Corporation of Australia, Art Gallery Director’s Council of Australia, Come Out Festival (1985, 1987, 1989), South Australian Ceramics Guild, Association of Professional Performances Arts South Australia, The Hole in the Wall Theatre Western Australia, Western Australia Theatre Company, Spare Parts Theatre, Patch Theatre South Australia and The Western Australian Association of Professional Performing Arts.

Mark Thompson has provided Art Direction for the International Craft and Fabric Arts Magazine Inspirations.

THEATRE / PRODUCTION / EVENTS

In 1984 Mark began designing for theatre and has designed over 60 productions for most of Australia’s leading theatre companies including Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Australian Dance Theatre, CDP Theatre Productions, Come Out Children’s Festival, Ensemble Theatre, Hayes Theatre Company, Monkey Baa Productions, Nimrod Theatre Company, Opera Australia, Sport for Jove Theatre Company, State Opera of South Australia, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, The Hole in the Wall Theatre Company, Western Australian Theatre Company, Soft Tread Productions and Windmill Theatre Company.

Mark was in the creative design team for the Opening and Closing ceremonies for the DOHA Asian Games in 2006. In 2015 Mark designed the set and costumes for the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia) production of Aida and for Carmen On Cockatoo Island in 2023 for Opera Australia

For the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust Workshop, Mark Thompson has provided Production Sculpture, Supervision and Design consultancy for commercial theatre productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Orient Express, South Pacific, Me and My Girl, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon (re-fit) and Les Miserables (build). He was the site-specific designer for the Australian touring production of CATS – tent tour.

Mark Thompson’s corporate event design consultancy clients include: Adelaide Festival Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Aotea Theatre Centre Auckland, The Gordon Frost Organisation, Jon Nicholls Productions, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Perth Theatre Trust, Intercontinental Adelaide, Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane, Four Points by Sheraton Perth, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth and The Hotel Windsor Melbourne, The City of Sydney New Years Eve Celebrations.

Exhibitions

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2024       Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, sine qua non, Melbourne, VIC (ceramics)

2023      BMG Art, “To be continued…”, Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2021        BMG Art “Sideshow Alice”, Adelaide, SA (paintings and porcelain)

2020       BMG Art (Adelaide Festival Exhibition) “The Beauty Parlour Is Filled With  Sailors, The Circus Is In Town” Adelaide, SA (paintings and porcelain)

2019       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW (painting and ceramics)

2018       BMG Art “References” Adelaide, SA (painting and ceramics)

2017       Robin Gibson Gallery “Offstage & On View” Sydney, NSW (painting and ceramics)

2016       BMG Art (Adelaide Festival Exhibition) “The Brothers Grim” Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2014       Robin Gibson Gallery “Of Meissen Men” Sydney, NSW (ceramics)

2012       BMG Art (Adelaide Festival Exhibition) “A Solitary Vice” Adelaide, SA (paintings)

2009       BMG Art “More Appropriations” Adelaide, SA (paintings)

2009       Robin Gibson Gallery “Appropriations” Sydney, NSW (paintings)

2002       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW (sculpture)

1998       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW (sculpture)

1984       Jam Factory Gallery (Adelaide Festival Exhibition) “Forces of Resilience” Adelaide, SA

1983       Robin Gibson Gallery “Private Faces, Public Places” Sydney, NSW

1982       Adelaide Festival (The Rotunda, Elder Park) “The Pavilion of Death, Dreams and Desire” Adelaide, SA

1980       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW (ceramic sculpture)

1980       Bonython Art Gallery (Adelaide Festival Exhibition) Adelaide, SA

1978       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW

1977       Adelaide Festival Centre Gallery, SA (ceramics)

1976       Collectors Gallery Perth, WA

1976       Jam Factory Gallery Adelaide, SA (ceramics and porcelain dolls)

1975       Bonython Gallery Sydney, NSW

1974       Norwood Galleries Adelaide, SA

1972       Contemporary Art Society Adelaide, SA

1971       Contemporary Art Society Adelaide, SA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022       BMG Art “Gallery Artists”, Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2020       BMG Art Joint exhibition Adelaide, SA (Ceramics),

2020        BMG Art “Still Life Still Life”, SA (paintings)

2019       BMG Art “Summertime” Adelaide, SA (paintings)

2018       BMG Art “Christmas Show” Adelaide, SA (paintings)

2016       BMG Art “Christmas Show” Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2015       BMG Art “Christmas Show” Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2014       BMG Art “Christmas Show” Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2014       BMG Art “Through the Mirror Ball” Adelaide, SA (ceramics)

2010       BMG Art “Tatau” Adelaide, SA (paintings)

2009       JamFactory Gallery Adelaide, SA (ceramic appropriations)

2007       Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney, NSW

1990       Crafts Council of South Australia (Touring) “Maker’s Choice III” Adelaide, SA

1986       Art Gallery of South Australia “Skangaroovian Funk” Adelaide, SA

1984       JamFactory Gallery “Forces of Resilience” Adelaide, SA

1982       Art Gallery of South Australia “Recent South Australian Sculpture” Adelaide, SA (sculpture)

1982       Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Launceston, TAS

1982       Art Gallery of South Australia “Australian Contemporary Art” Adelaide, SA

1980       Crafts Council of South Australia “Miniature Objects” Adelaide, SA

1979       Art Gallery of South Australia “The Art of Craft” Adelaide, SA

1979       National Gallery of Victoria “The Kangaroo in Art” Melbourne, VIC

1979       Art Gallery Directors Council “Still Life Still Lives” Touring Australia

1978       The Macquarie Galleries “Lots of Pots” Sydney, NSW

1978       Royal South Australian Society of Arts “The Masters Choice” Adelaide, SA

1978       Meat Market Craft Centre ‘Victorian Ministry for the” Melbourne, VIC

1978       Australian Crafts “National Survey Show” Touring Australia

1978       Macquarie Galleries Sydney, NSW

1978       Blackfriars Gallery Sydney, NSW

1978       Royal Adelaide Society of Arts (Adelaide Festival) “Caltex Sculpture Award” Adelaide, SA

1978       National Gallery of Victoria “Collection Pieces – loaned by the Art Gallery of South Australia” Melbourne, VIC

1978       Mayfair Ceramic Award Exhibition Sydney, NSW

1977       Crafts Council Gallery “Inaugural Exhibition” Sydney, NSW

1977       Ararat Gallery (Survey Exhibition) Ararat, VIC

1976       Toorak Gallery “Mayfair Ceramic Award Exhibition” Melbourne, VIC

1976       Ararat Gallery “30 Craftsmen from South Australia” Ararat, VIC

1974       Art Gallery of South Australia “Young Artist Award” Adelaide, SA

1971       Art Gallery of South Australia “Outlook ‘71” Adelaide, SA

Achievements, Collections & Commissions

Collections:

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston

Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong

The University of New England Gallery, Armidale

The University of New South Wales Collection, Sydney

The University of Melbourne Collection, Melbourne

Curtin University (Formerly Western Australian Institute of Technology), Perth

Edith Cowan University Collection, Perth

Craft Victoria Collection, Melbourne

Australia Council for the Arts (Collection of Visual Arts and Crafts), Sydney

City of Adelaide Collection, Adelaide

Crafts Council of South Australia, Adelaide

Royal South Australian Society of Arts, Adelaide

South Australian Performing Arts Collection (Costume Design), Adelaide

New South Wales Bar Association, Sydney

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Texas, USA

SELECTED ART PRIZES

2020      “North Queensland Ceramic Awards”, Queensland

2019       “The Lester Prize for Portraiture” The Lester (formerly ARTrinsic Inc), WA

2019       “Naked and Nude” Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW

2018       “Jacaranda Drawing Prize” Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW

2018       “The Lester Prize for Portraiture” The Lester (formerly ARTrinsic Inc), WA

2018       “The Kennedy Prize” Kennedy Arts Foundation, SA

2017       “Muswellbrook Art Prize” (ceramics) Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW

2017       “Muswellbrook Art Prize” (works on paper) Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW

2017       “The Kennedy Prize” Kennedy Arts Foundation, SA

2016       “Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award” Gold Coast City Art Gallery, QLD

2016       “Shirley Hannan Prize” Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW

2012       “Percival Portrait Painting Prize” Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD

2009       “Redland Art Award” Redland Art Gallery, QLD

2009       “Eutick Memorial Still Life Award” Project Contemporary Artspace Wollongong, NSW

2009       “Archibald Prize” Art Gallery of NSW

2008       “Kilgour Prize” Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW

2008       “Eutick Memorial Still Life Award” Project Contemporary Artspace Wollongong, NSW

2008       “Redland Art Award” Redland Art Gallery, QLD

2008       “The Lester Prize for Portraiture” The Lester (formerly ARTrinsic Inc), WA

2008       “Gallipoli Art Prize” Gallipoli Memorial Club Sydney, NSW

2007       “Stan and Maureen Duke Prize” Gold Coast City Art Gallery, QLD

2007       “Kilgour Prize” Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW

2007       “Fisher’s Ghost Art Award” City of Campbelltown, NSW