William Thompson, dramatic figure painting

My work is an attempt to document, in a very honest way, feelings or emotions that are experienced from a life devoted to solitude and introspection. The use of self-imagery in many of my pieces helps to further reinforce this idea. The closely cropped format serves to eliminate all areas surrounding the figure, giving greater attention and emphasis to a particular gaze or body gesture which expresses these emotions most clearly. Individuals who are chosen for portraits are selected on the basis of specific personality characteristics that they posses, which I either admire greatly, find very beautiful, identify with in some way, or look for within myself. In this way they can be looked at as self portraits. It is also an attempt to break down defensive walls that most people carry with them in order to protect themselves from being hurt. I try to move past this barrier, if only for a moment, and find something very honest and sometimes vulnerable in the sitter, where composure is lost and true feelings are able to surface.

The newest series, entitled Cycles, is an attempt to step outside of this state of isolation into that of interpersonal relationships. It mainly deals with how idealized preconceptions about relationships, and patterns of behavior (formed from a life devoted to solitude) may effect the ability to fully connect with another person.
William Thompson
May 20, 2015

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