Cat Thompson
ABOUT CAT THOMPSON
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Cat Thompson is a ceramics artist based in Tauranga. Cat's amazing ceramic sculptures are such a sight to behold - truly the epitome of 'works of art'.
I met Cat at the Bethlehem Pottery Club where she is Vice President, contributing a good deal of time and energy into making the Club such an enjoyable space for the club members. Cat talked to me about her love of clay and what she can achieve with it: "I have always loved the challenges of sculpture and the science behind glaze and surface treatments. My work mainly has a narrative theme and is usually inspired by an incident or event with a bit of humour added just for good measure." |
Cat's interest in art had Mom's support from the early age of 6 years old. Not happy with Cat's art teacher and the support her daughter was getting for her art at school, Mom enrolled Cat in an art correspondence course at age 11 and through this Cat got to experience and work with different mediums with great focus and guidance.
An elderly neighbour also encouraged Cat's talent, providing clear and strong critique that Cat believes had a lasting affect on the works she produces today. He told her that her work 'looked dead' and that until she could put the 'light in the eyes' she would not succeed as an artist. He then taught her how to do just that.
Cat's work is unconventional, but then so is Cat. Coming from a farming background, she learnt anatomy and how things 'move' and are manipulated within a body by picking up roadkill on her way home from school and examining the bodies in order to further her knowledge and build this knowledge into her art.
Cat enjoys recycled materials and of course, 'breaking clay rules'. Her inspiration can come from anywhere - a song, word, proverb, someone else's story or her own, a memory or simply a picture in her head. Her works are often personal to her, but resound with others on an intuitive and emotional level. People are attracted to their own interpretation of what the pieces are saying, how they translate into something they personally understand. There is always so much more than immediately meets the eye - the recycled elements alongside real gold, American one-off vintage decals, and of course the various types of clay that Cat manipulates with amazing skill.
An elderly neighbour also encouraged Cat's talent, providing clear and strong critique that Cat believes had a lasting affect on the works she produces today. He told her that her work 'looked dead' and that until she could put the 'light in the eyes' she would not succeed as an artist. He then taught her how to do just that.
Cat's work is unconventional, but then so is Cat. Coming from a farming background, she learnt anatomy and how things 'move' and are manipulated within a body by picking up roadkill on her way home from school and examining the bodies in order to further her knowledge and build this knowledge into her art.
Cat enjoys recycled materials and of course, 'breaking clay rules'. Her inspiration can come from anywhere - a song, word, proverb, someone else's story or her own, a memory or simply a picture in her head. Her works are often personal to her, but resound with others on an intuitive and emotional level. People are attracted to their own interpretation of what the pieces are saying, how they translate into something they personally understand. There is always so much more than immediately meets the eye - the recycled elements alongside real gold, American one-off vintage decals, and of course the various types of clay that Cat manipulates with amazing skill.
Cat is a wonderfully colourful artist and person. She enjoys riding out on her Harley Davidson motorcycle with the motorcycle club when she can, or hanging out and offering guidance to the diverse group of people at the Bethlehem Pottery Club. She likes to push all the boundaries with her art and her life and as such she is just a fabulous person to be around.
We thoroughly enjoy Cat's works at Quay Gallery and look forward to bringing you more, more, more!
We thoroughly enjoy Cat's works at Quay Gallery and look forward to bringing you more, more, more!
