Bob Thompson (painter)
Encyclopedia
Bob Thompson was an African-American figurative painter known for his bold and colorful canvases, whose compositions were appropriated from the Old Masters. He was very prolific in his eight-year career, producing over 1000 works before his death in Rome
, Italy
in 1966. The Whitney Museum in New York
mounted a retrospective of his work in 1998. He also has works in numerous private and public collections throughout the United States.
. His father died in a car crash when he was 13, and he lived with relatives who exposed him to art and jazz.
He was briefly a pre-med student at Boston University
(1955-56) but dropped out and returned to the University of Louisville
(1957-58) where he studied painting under German expressionist Ulfert Wilke
.
In 1958 he moved to New York City
where he formed friendships with jazz musicians such as Charlie Haden
and Ornette Coleman
while a regular at the Jazz club
s The Five Spot
and Slugs. He also formed friendships with writers Allen Ginsberg
and LeRoi Jones in addition to fellow artists Lester Johnson
, Red Grooms
, Mimi Gross
, and Allan Kaprow
, with whom he participated in some of the earliest Happenings. In 1960, he had his first solo exhibition at the Delancy Street Museum and later at the Martha Jackson Gallery where he had solo exhibitions in 1963-4, and 1965.
He married in 1960 and moved with his wife to Europe
in 1961. They went to London, Paris (staying at the so-called Beat Museum hotel) and to Spain, where they settled on Ibiza
. Thompson wanted to draw inspiration from the European Old Masters and perhaps also wanted to escape drugs. However, his heroin use took its toll. He died of complications from gall bladder surgery in Rome, Italy in 1966.
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1966. The Whitney Museum in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
mounted a retrospective of his work in 1998. He also has works in numerous private and public collections throughout the United States.
Career and Life Moments
Thompson was born and raised in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. His father died in a car crash when he was 13, and he lived with relatives who exposed him to art and jazz.
He was briefly a pre-med student at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(1955-56) but dropped out and returned to the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
(1957-58) where he studied painting under German expressionist Ulfert Wilke
Ulfert Wilke
Ulfert Wilke was an internationally recognized painter, calligrapher and art collector connected to the abstract expressionism movement. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1938. He is best known for his large canvas paintings and highly detailed lithographs...
.
In 1958 he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he formed friendships with jazz musicians such as Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
and Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
while a regular at the Jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
s The Five Spot
Five Spot
The Five Spot Café was a jazz club located at 5 Cooper Square in the Bowery neighbourhood of New York City.-History:In 1937, Salvatore Termini purchased what was then known as the Bowery Café, a working-class bar located under the Third Avenue El. In 1946, two of Termini's sons, Joe and Ignatze ...
and Slugs. He also formed friendships with writers Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and LeRoi Jones in addition to fellow artists Lester Johnson
Lester Johnson (artist)
Lester Johnson was an American artist.As a figurative expressionist and member of the Second Generation of the New York School, painter Lester Johnson remained dedicated to the human figure as means of expression through the many stylistic changes of his oeuvre.In New York, Johnson exhibited at...
, Red Grooms
Red Grooms
Red Grooms is an American multimedia artist best known for his colorful pop-art constructions depicting frenetic scenes of modern urban life...
, Mimi Gross
Mimi Gross
Mimi Gross is a New York City born artist. She is the daughter of the sculptor Chaim Gross. From 1963-1976 she was married to the artist Red Grooms who was her collaborator on many projects...
, and Allan Kaprow
Allan Kaprow
Allan Kaprow was an American painter, assemblagist and a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. He helped to develop the "Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. His Happenings - some 200 of them - evolved over the years...
, with whom he participated in some of the earliest Happenings. In 1960, he had his first solo exhibition at the Delancy Street Museum and later at the Martha Jackson Gallery where he had solo exhibitions in 1963-4, and 1965.
He married in 1960 and moved with his wife to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1961. They went to London, Paris (staying at the so-called Beat Museum hotel) and to Spain, where they settled on Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
. Thompson wanted to draw inspiration from the European Old Masters and perhaps also wanted to escape drugs. However, his heroin use took its toll. He died of complications from gall bladder surgery in Rome, Italy in 1966.