Stephen Bowers and Mark Thompson

26 October 2024 - 7 December 2024

Opening Saturday 26 October, new work by South Australian ceramic artists Stephen Bowers and Mark Thompson.

Exhibitions opened by Dr Damon Moon, acclaimed writer on historical and contemporary ceramics, including numerous articles, essays and a monograph on Stephen Bowers (Beyond Bravura), as well as a ceramicist himself represented in several Australian public collections, following in the footsteps of his father Milton Moon, who taught Mark Thompson. This is an edited version of the opening talk – or click here for  the full version.

 

Stephen Bowers: A Conference of  Birds

This exhibition is full of vivid images portraying birds in colour-saturated settings where they overlap complex fragmentary backgrounds,  many derived from engravings and textiles. This rich mash-up of visual ideas is playfully and skilfully rendered using meticulous brushstrokes that are imitative of industrial process.

Click here to download the illustrated catalogue for Stephen Bowers, including essay by Leslie Ferrin.

Leslie Ferrin is the director of Ferrin Contemporary, based in Cummington, MA. Specializing in contemporary ceramic art from 1950 to the present, she is an internationally respected curator who works to support artists and private collectors in partnership with galleries and museums worldwide. In addition to the gallery, Ferrin directs ProjectArt, a live/work international ceramic artist residency that hosts ongoing, short, and long-term projects. As a trusted expert and adviser to private collectors, curators, and museums, she is considered a foremost authority on contemporary ceramics, focusing on market trends, career development, and historical context, and has been lecturing throughout the United States and Europe for over forty years.

Mark Thompson: sine qua non

Mark’s trademark bravura mastery of modelling and rich polychromatic glazes with gold lustre accents has never been driven by a desire to emulate traditions but a determination to challenge them and co-opt whatever looked useful to the cause of tongue in cheek wit and unbridled experiment.

Click here for images of Mark’s artworks or continue scrolling below.

Click here to download the illustrated catalogue for Mark Thompson, including essay by John Neylon.

John Neylon is an Adelaide-based art writer, poet, curator and artist. He is the author of several books and numerous essays and reviews on South Australian artists. John was the lead art writer for The Adelaide Review (1980 – 2019) and is currently art writer for InReview.

View videos of each artist discussing their work:

Artwork