Jon Thompson: podcast appearances and interviews

Jon Thompson was an artist, curator, and academic who was known for his involvement in the development of the Young British Artists generation. As head of the Department of Art at Goldsmiths in the 1980s, Thompson promoted a flexible approach to art education, allowing students to explore various mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography, and printing. His own artistic practice evolved from painting to conceptual photography and sculpture. After retiring from teaching, Thompson focused on abstract painting, establishing a distinctive approach that distinguished Goldsmiths from other prominent art schools. Thompson played a significant role in curatorial projects, including the legendary 1988 Freeze warehouse exhibition, which he co-curated alongside art students and Damien Hirst, whom he had tutored. He also served as head of the MA Fine Art course at Middlesex University's School of Art and lectured on notable artists like Marcel Duchamp and Piero Manzoni. His curatorial work includes exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery such as Gravity and Grace and Falls the Shadow, with Barry Barker. In 2011, a collection of Thompson's writings was published as The Collected Writings of Jon Thompson, providing an overview of his contributions as a writer and artist. In late 2018, Sotheby’s S|2 gallery hosted a solo exhibition of his work, accompanied by a catalogue featuring an essay by Michael Bracewell.