This exhibition consists of select artworks that span from 2009 through 2023. The prevailing sentiment expressed throughout is that the people in our immediate vicinity will often teach us the most important life lessons.  I have included paintings of family members as well as paintings of people that I have only met once.  Each model has their own extensive network of loved ones that can speak to the nature of the integral roles filled by those individuals .
My persistent inquiry: Given the intensity with which I consciously and unconsciously respond to visual stimuli, how often does that hyperfocus limit my capacity to engage with the depths of who I see in front of me? When is my own complexion a distraction from grappling with other critical subjects? As I ask those questions, in the same breath I insist on the necessity of unapologetically celebrating the richness of all the various shades and tones of Black skin.  The challenge for all of us is resisting the centuries-old miseducation about the inferiority of darker skin.       

Artist Talk: Wednesday Feb. 1st @ 4:30PM

William Paul Thomas’s paintings are larger than life, both in physical presence and visual impact. Each image flirts with photorealism while maintaining evidence of a strong painterly hand, which is amplified by his rich color palette. Some of his subjects can be seen with their faces partially covered in blue, which he refers to as “Cyanosis”. This effect is a visceral depiction of the conflict and trauma that we all hold just beneath the surface. Cyanosis challenges viewers to be more aware of not only their own hardships, but also those of the people they interact with every day.

The title of the show, Public Displays of Affection, refers to his intimate connection with the people he paints. “I choose specific models as a way of recognizing their significance in my life’s path. I relish being able to honor everyday people through making images. We regularly celebrate women and men of prominence in mass media, so I take advantage of the opportunity to highlight the people that impact me on a more direct level than any untouchable celebrity or distant historical figure could.

A rising art star, William Paul Thomas was the youngest artist, and the only figurative painter, in the recent show Front Burner: Highlight in Contemporary North Carolina Painting at the North Carolina Museum of Art. He was the Brock Family Visiting Instructor in painting at Duke University for a year while his colleague Beverly McIver was a fellow at the American Academy in Rome. He currently teaches at Guilford College, and lives in Durham.

OPULENCE, DECADENCE

CURATED BY WILLIAM PAUL THOMAS
November 20th through January 3rd
Opening reception, Friday December 4th 6-9pm

For Lump’s latest group exhibition, artist/curator William Paul Thomas asked artists, “If you attained a surplus of something that you greatly desired, would you flaunt it, share it, hoard it, hide it, or spoil it?” This was the launch point for OPULENCE DECADENCE, which, starting Friday, welcomes an entirely new batch of artists to Lump, each of whom made new work specifically for the show. It’s a disconcerting look at the severe imbalance of wealth and equity across the globe, that offers moments of rare beauty, buoyant humor, and unwavering critique.

Join us on the first Friday of December for a chilly but festive outdoor reception behind Lump. We will allow a few people in the gallery at a time to view the work.

participating artists:
Johannes Barfield – Leticia Clementina – Clarence Heyward – Jim Lee – Kwaku Osei – JP Jermaine Powell – Brittany Santiago – Whitney Stanley – Ariel Williams