Addressing Bob Thompson’s Ethereal Landscape

The Descension by Thompson contains an aspect of unfolding. The forms of multicolored nude bodies congregate in the nude, yet just one figure is wearing a pearl-toned undergarment. With the attire, the central nature of this figure and length appears to double the majority of the supporting character. What distinguishes something as more humanistic? The presence of clothing or the refusal to cover up. The political dimensions of nudity are apparent here, and the
question of where this ethereal realm might be becomes even more pertinent. The boundary between humanistic beings and natural aspects of our environment becomes more and more blurred as you move your gaze through the artwork. The eggplant-toned figure with prominent ears visually resembles a dog, but the perwinkle pigment applied on top and between the ears raises the question of who exists in Thompson's setting. The half-dressed figure was supported by a mahogany-pigmented figure. The structure of the hair is an interesting aspect of this mahogany figure, in this Thompson created landscape the figures barely look like figures, yet this hair is very indicative of coiled hair texture, now simply because Thompson is a Black man the viewer may make this connection as of course he would implicate a racial notion, but instead this element adds an interesting commentary on the socially constructed nature of race and how we understand phenotypical attributes. An imaginary land race persists, and this may be the most exciting aspect for me because categorizing the mahogany figure means the viewer may be obliged, or more likely, to analyze the figures surrounding them. A clay-colored curved person leans on a canary yellow building far to the right side of the artwork. My question is, what distinguishes the clay figure from the mahogany figure? Perhaps there is nothing, but Thompson alludes to the viewer's current state of consciousness and understanding of race. The integration of the ethereal world with antidotes of more politically backed imagery creates a conversation of what may be most prevalent in Thompson’s life experience. The consciousness of the identity of the mahogany figure intercepts this vision that Thompson has created, yet the viewer has to identify and place these figures in their narrative.

We can also look at the movement and think about the influences of jazz on this landscape. When considering swing and the movement connected with jazz music, the viewer's eyes undoubtedly emulate this movement as you gaze at the soft hues and the loosely formed forms allow for a very quick change in attention. The complex chords that exist in jazz become relevant to Thompson’s landscape when you think about the complexities that exist in his soft environment. The degree of texture in the trees raises the issue of realism, as the trees may be the most
accurate component of this painting in terms of known real items. Does the movement of the trees situate this fictional scene in reality, as all of the extra figures in the picture allude to our natural senses of our society? Now is Thompson’s integration of jazz which this landscape portrayed through the mahogany figure and the cherry-kissed man in the white undergarments?
Is Thompson touching on the roots of the European notes and African ritual sounds to create a visual sounding board? Thompson is inspired by Bacchanalia imagery. These mysterious Roman feasts are highly significant in Thompson's landscape due to the unrestrained character of the figures and the grouping in the natural landscape. Thompson produces a realistic environment with brown tree
trunks, circulating regions around them, and streams of water that meet the horizon. This landscape-inspired background allows Thompson to construct an incredibly abstract foreground with characters that repeat personal memories in the spectator's engagement. Considering the elements of consciousness integrated with the external world to create a translucent vision, the following is a poem about The Descension by Bob Thompson.

Bob Thompson's colorful life extended beyond his color pallet; between his death and his medical journeys, he established a life that reflected his work.

Bystander, 1963
Skin-like
buttery canary brightness
Marigold maturation
Cider augmentation
Clay and statues are reclining
Peacon cylinders encircle
History abandons pioneers to forge their way
Walnut women wander
Boysenberry's tall-eared companion takes an absence
Periwinkle peculiar shapes surround
Cobalt leaves become lime fantasies.
Earth tones that sprout from the ground
Coiled locks sway in the sunburst sky
akin to skin
Yellow shadows dance in the wind like tall grass.
What am I doing?
Where do you stand in this landscape?