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Terry Thompson Paintings

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.
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Artist: Terry Thompson
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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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Previously Available Items
Pride
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Terry Thompson paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Terry Thompson paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings 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 paintings, 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 paintings 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.