Thomas J. Price with his work All In (2021) during his solo exhibition “Thoughts Unseen” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
Photo: Ken Adlard
Next Big Things: Thomas J. Price
The U.K. sculptor uses traditional materials and ancient techniques to memorialize the unsung heroes and objects of the past
One of the most exciting young sculptors working in the U.K., Thomas
J. Price reimagines the role of public sculpture, exploring how power is transmitted through statues and how diverse people are represented. Studying at the Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, Price probes the long history of classical statuary to offer a fresh new way of seeing. His fictional characters are what he calls psychological portraits, or “experiments in empathy constructed from an amalgamation of sources and observed interactions.”
His mission is to connect immediately with the viewer and dismantle our longstanding perceptions and preconceived notions. “I want the sculptures to disrupt how we build a narrative for someone else, how perception unfolds, and our attitudes towards representation. Over time the characters have developed an important dialogue with one another, addressing how society implants an understanding of a person and their social status based on changes in body posture, physiognomy or clothing. The works are vehicles for shifting our unconscious thought process and providing a moment for individual and collective re-evaluation.”
Old versus new: Price uses traditional materials and ancient techniques like cast bronze to shine light on and memorialize the unsung heroes and objects of the past. “I intentionally use scale and material to critique monumentalism, distilling signifiers of status to question the mechanisms in place that reinforce our cultural values. Bronze holds historic references of prominence and power attached to affluence, it is the material to mark something as ‘official’ and signify worth. By playing with the hierarchy of materials within my works I’m able to challenge the viewers expectations and provide an alternative narrative to those that are missing.”
Installation view of Thomas J. Price's solo exhibition “Thoughts Unseen” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Photo: Ken Adlard
Now and next: After years of representing himself, Price recently signed with mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth. His current project, Thomas J. Price: Witness, at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and forthcoming Hackney Windrush Commission in London are both deeply connected to the local communities. “It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience to share the development and unveiling of the sculptures with the people that will encounter them every day and are able to celebrate themselves within the works.”
Installation view of Thomas J. Price's solo exhibition “Thoughts Unseen” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Photo: Ken Adlard
It is rare to find contemporary artists who capture feelings through bronze sculptures.Thomas succeeds to use this traditional material with a very current and emotional approach. Although engaged, the artist message is not overbearing and favors a subtle approach that gives way to multiples interpretations."
Luis Laplace, architect and designer
Installation view of Thomas J. Price's solo exhibition “Thoughts Unseen” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Photo: Ken Adlard
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2021 Winter Issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Thomas J. Price with his work All In (2021) during his solo exhibition “Thoughts Unseen” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
Photo: Ken Adlard
