Art & Compromise V: Jon Thompson

About

The 20th century concept of the artist as a politically alienated idealist has undergone significant shifts in recent years. Is there any form of moral obligation still within art's purpose? What price integrity? Can the negotiations of compromise be catalysts for creative invention? Jon Thompson will participate in the fourth in the Art & Compromise Series at 2pm on 18th February 2010 at Beaconsfield. To reserve places please contact lily@beaconsfield.ltd.uk / 020 7582 6465 Jon Thompson (born 1936) is an artist, writer, curator and academic known for his involvement in the development of the so called YBA artist generation. He was instrumental in changing the way the art school system worked in the UK. He opened up the departments at Goldsmiths College in London enabling students to move freely between and/or beyond the different specialisms of painting, sculpture, photography and print-making. This distinguished Goldsmiths from previously dominant art schools like St Martins. In 1988 he was involved in a mentoring capacity with the now legendary Freeze warehouse exhibition curated by two sociology students and Damien Hirst whom Thompson had accepted on to the course and tutored during his time there. Jon was subsequently and successively head of Fine Art at the University of Maastricht and of Research at Middlesex University's School of Art (previously Hornsey College of Art). He has also curated major shows at the Hayward Gallery in London including Gravity and Grace - 1993, Falls the Shadow - 1986 with Barry Barker and The British Art Show - 1984 with Marjorie Allthorpe-Guyton and Alexander Moffat.