Skip to main content

Terry Thompson Art

American, b. 1963
For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have lived and beat the odds.  These sculptural signs exist as historically and emotionally charged metaphors for the unrelenting passage of time.  In his paintings, Thompson seeks to to reveal the hidden beauty of these banal, rusty relics, by rendering them in paint.   Thompson finds his subjects while exploring the forgotten back streets of cities across the United States.  This act of discovery coupled with being in the physical presence of these signs, is crucial to his process.  Thompson is searching for the diamonds in the discarded materials of our heavily commercial culture - the hidden beauty in the mundane and often-overlooked.   Thompson is fascinated by packaging typography and graphics and has done a series of vintage food product paintings depicting TV dinners, soda and soup cans, cereal boxes, and candy wrappers.  The oversized and playful paintings of these products take the mundane and re-packages it for our contemporary eyes - objects that were used and thrown away take on a new power to evoke emotion and memory.    Thompson delves deep into the brilliant design aesthetic of the objects.  From a time before the current mass media advertising bombardment of the devices we all carry in our pockets, these iconic signs and packages were an essential forms of advertising - if the sign caught your eye, you’d remember it.  Instead of repetition as is the case now, designers had perhaps only one shot to make that statement.   Text is a common thread uniting both the sign and packaging paintings as is Thompson’s interest in capturing what is often considered purely functional and utilitarian by one era yet comes to mean more in the ensuing years.  These signs or product packages represent so much more with the passage of time - our youth and the ever present nostalgia for the perceived “simpler times” of the past.   Terry Thompson was born in 1963 in Mountain View, CA.  His initial studies were in industrial technology and he worked as an equipment engineer for various tech companies in Silicon Valley.  While the work was interesting to Thompson, he could not get away from painting and went on to receive his BA and MFA from San Jose State University (CA).  Thompson has exhibited throughout the West Coast and his work can be found in private collections throughout the world and in the permanent collections of The San Jose Museum of Art, The Nevada Museum of Art, The California Museum -Sacramento, The de Saisset Museum of Art - Santa Clara University, and The Fort Wayne Museum of Art.  Terry Thompson lives and works in San Francisco.
to
19
19
16
3
TV Dinner, Fried Chicken
TV Dinner, Fried Chicken

TV Dinner, Fried Chicken

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Represented by George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles -- Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the h...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

El Tavern (Vacancy IV)
El Tavern (Vacancy IV)

El Tavern (Vacancy IV)

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'El Tavern (Vacancy IV)', oil on canvas, unframed and 40 x 60 inches. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a photorealistic style various "Pop" cultur...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cap'n Crunch Pop
Cap'n Crunch Pop

Cap'n Crunch Pop

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Cap'n Crunch Pop', oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches, proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a pho...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Swanson Crush on Rooti
Swanson Crush on Rooti

Swanson Crush on Rooti

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Swanson Crush on Rooti', oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches, proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hollywood Premiere

Hollywood Premiere

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the hand-bent, glass tubes. I enjoy the sculptural, mechan...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Pinkie's Pizza
Pinkie's Pizza

Pinkie's Pizza

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Pinkie's Pizza', oil on panel, 30 x 40 inches, proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a photor...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Billiards
Billiards

Billiards

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Billiards', oil on canvas, unframed and 30 x 48 inches. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a photorealistic style various "Pop" culture products th...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chinatown II
Chinatown II

Chinatown II

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Chinatown II', oil on canvas, unframed and 48 x 30 inches. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a photorealistic style various "Pop" culture products...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

TV Dinner - Ham

TV Dinner - Ham

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Represented by George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles -- Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the h...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Reno Circus Circus
Reno Circus Circus

Reno Circus Circus

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Liquor Deli
Liquor Deli

Liquor Deli

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Garden of Eden

Garden of Eden

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Thompson's oil paintings of neon signage explore his appreciation for how these hand-made signs are built. This may be a result of the many years he spent as an equipment engineer in...

Category

2010s American Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Orpheum
Orpheum

Orpheum

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hot Cake House
Hot Cake House

Hot Cake House

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

T-Bird Motel

T-Bird Motel

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the hand-bent, glass tubes. I enjo...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tropicana Motor Hotel

Tropicana Motor Hotel

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the hand-bent, glass tubes. I enjoy the sculptural, mechan...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Aladdin
Aladdin

Aladdin

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the hand-bent, glass tubes. I enjoy the sculptural, mechan...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Oakland Burgers & Pies
Oakland Burgers & Pies

Oakland Burgers & Pies

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have live...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rio

Rio

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist Statement Nothing But Neon, 2021 I see beauty in old neon signs. I have always been fascinated by the glow inside the hand-bent, glass tubes. I enjoy the sculptural, mechan...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Related Items
Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled Interieur et Exteriuer
Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled Interieur et Exteriuer

Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled Interieur et Exteriuer

By Charles Perron

Located in Preston, GB

Early 20th Century Oil of French Stone Building entitled 'Interieur et Exteriuer' by the Award-Winning French Artist, Charles Perron (1893 – 1958). Presented in a beautiful ornate period gold frame...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Pocket Wild Apple, Dani Humberstone, Contemporary painting, still life art
Pocket Wild Apple, Dani Humberstone, Contemporary painting, still life art

Pocket Wild Apple, Dani Humberstone, Contemporary painting, still life art

Located in Deddington, GB

Pocket Wild Apple [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Oil paint on canvas Image size: H:15 cm x W:15 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:5 cm x W:5 cm x D:2cm Frame Size:...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Diptych of Pocket Yellowy Orange Clementine and Very Shiny Very Red Apple
Diptych of Pocket Yellowy Orange Clementine and Very Shiny Very Red Apple

Diptych of Pocket Yellowy Orange Clementine and Very Shiny Very Red Apple

By Dani Humberstone

Located in Deddington, GB

Very Shiny Very Red Apple is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her series of realistic oil paintings of fruit with a nod to baroque still life painting. The pa...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone, Still life, Small Scale Oil Painting
Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone, Still life, Small Scale Oil Painting

Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone, Still life, Small Scale Oil Painting

Located in Deddington, GB

Pocket Persimmon Fruit by Dani Humberstone [2022] original and hand signed by artist Oil paint on canvas Image size: H:5 cm x W:5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:5 cm x W:5 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:16 cm x W:16 cm x D:3.5cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look. Pocket Persimmon Fruit is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her pocket fruit series.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peaches II, Photorealist Oil Painting on Canvas by Gustavo Schmidt
Peaches II, Photorealist Oil Painting on Canvas by Gustavo Schmidt

Peaches II, Photorealist Oil Painting on Canvas by Gustavo Schmidt

By Gustavo Schmidt

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Gustavo Schmidt Title: Peaches II Year: 2007 Medium: Oil on Canvas with Varnish, signed l.r. Size: 36 x 28 inches

Category

Early 2000s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Varnish, Oil

Wisteria Bouquet in the Style of William Hubacek Original California Still Life
Wisteria Bouquet in the Style of William Hubacek Original California Still Life

Wisteria Bouquet in the Style of William Hubacek Original California Still Life

By William Hubacek

Located in Soquel, CA

Wisteria Bouquet in the Style of William Hubacek Original California Still Life Exceptionally well painted and framed painting of a Bouquet of ...

Category

1890s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Linen, Oil, Stretcher Bars

STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT - Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italy Painting
STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT - Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italy Painting

STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT - Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italy Painting

By Maximilian Ciccone

Located in Napoli, IT

Still life of Flowers and Fruit - Maximilian Ciccone Italia 2002 - Oil on canvas cm.60x90. This oil on canvas painting is an incredible example of the artist's ability to capture bre...

Category

Early 2000s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Deep Red Apple, Dani Humberstone, Original oil painting, Still life art, Realist
Deep Red Apple, Dani Humberstone, Original oil painting, Still life art, Realist

Deep Red Apple, Dani Humberstone, Original oil painting, Still life art, Realist

Located in Deddington, GB

Deep Red Apple by Dani Humberstone [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Oil on Canvas Image size: H:15 cm x W:15 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:15 cm x W:15 cm x D:2c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pocket White Anemone 5 c, Original Painting, Realist, Autumnal art
Pocket White Anemone 5 c, Original Painting, Realist, Autumnal art

Pocket White Anemone 5 c, Original Painting, Realist, Autumnal art

By Dani Humberstone

Located in Deddington, GB

Pocket White Anemone 5 c is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque st...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pocket Yellow Plum by Dani Humberstone, Small Scale Art, Realist, Still life
Pocket Yellow Plum by Dani Humberstone, Small Scale Art, Realist, Still life

Pocket Yellow Plum by Dani Humberstone, Small Scale Art, Realist, Still life

Located in Deddington, GB

Pocket Yellow Quince by Dani Humberstone [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Oil paint on canvas Image size: H:5 cm x W:5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:5 cm x W:5 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:16 cm x W:16 cm x D:3.5cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look. Pocket Yellow Quince is an original oil painting bay Dani Humberstone as part of her pocket fruit series.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip, Original Painting, Flower, Still Life, Plant
Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip, Original Painting, Flower, Still Life, Plant

Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip, Original Painting, Flower, Still Life, Plant

By Dani Humberstone

Located in Deddington, GB

Pocket Striped Bellona Tulip is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroqu...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mono-Poli III - Realism, Photorealistic Oil Painting, Colorful, Hyperrealism

Mono-Poli III - Realism, Photorealistic Oil Painting, Colorful, Hyperrealism

Located in Salzburg, AT

„He is a declared painter with full awareness of his conceptual past. His works, near to photo-realism, show objects in a garish intense coloristic. It is the process of painting, the transition from the idea to a perfect canvas, which is most important for Toman. The object is just a pretext, the valuable is the studio and the picturesque amatory, which makes it possible to copy the material fragments of life.“ (Panteon) Born 1966, studied 1986-87 at the Institute of Artistic Education UMCS Lublin/studio Prof. Mieczysław Herman, 1988-93 at the Faculty for Painting/Academy of Fine Arts, Cracow, diploma in the studio of Prof. Włodzimierz Kunz; 1995-97 Ecole Regionale des beaux-arts in Rennes/France, diploma with distinction under direction of Prof. Gerard Baldet...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Previously Available Items
Pride
Pride

Pride

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Pride Cleaners', oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches, is proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a ph...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sky Ranch
Sky Ranch

Sky Ranch

By Terry Thompson

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Sky Ranch', oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches, proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California. Terry Thompson looks for beauty in the often overlooked, painting in a photoreali...

Category

2010s Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sacto Bowl
Sacto Bowl

Sacto Bowl

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

For nearly twenty years, Thompson has focused primarily on painting old neon signs that have somehow avoided the wrecking ball - the signs that have lived and beat the odds. These s...

Category

2010s Photorealist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Half Moon Motel
Half Moon Motel

Half Moon Motel

By Terry Thompson

Located in Fairfield, CT

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NY & LA -- In Thompson's oil paintings of neon signage, he renders wires, rivets and other minutia because of his appreciation for how these...

Category

2010s American Realist Terry Thompson Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Terry Thompson art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Terry Thompson art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Terry Thompson in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Photorealist style. Not every interior allows for large Terry Thompson art, so small editions measuring 24 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Charles Ford, Gustavo Schmidt, and Mark Schiff. Terry Thompson art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $6,000 and tops out at $10,856, while the average work can sell for $7,800.

Artists Similar to Terry Thompson