FILTER RESULTS × Close
Skip to Content
Showing 24 of 65


Lew Thomas

American
(1932–2021)

BLACK & WHITE
1971 (printed 2014)

Gelatin silver print
12.5 x 31 x 1.5 in.
Gift of the Kathryn C. Wanlass Foundation
2014.5

Conceptual artist Lew Thomas creates photographs that emphasize the relationship between words and the embodiment of language as a construct while utilizing the medium of photography. As a child, Thomas developed a love of language and literature, which stood as an inspiration for his art. The vertical diptych, Black and White, was a pivotal piece for the artist, created following the birth of his daughter. It shows his interest in juxtapositions - both of words and colors, subversion of meaning through context and material.

Thomas attended the University of San Francisco, graduating in 1960 with a degree in English Literature. He then managed the Patrons of Art and Music Bookshop, where he first became interested in both language structuralism and photography. There he interacted with literary masters and artists alike, among which he developed a relationship with Joe Schopplein, a photographer for the de Young Museum. Schopplein taught Thomas how to shoot and print photographs, unknowingly launching him into his career as an artist. Thomas was also an influential publisher. Forming a link between language and photography, Thomas began creating work that represented the dichotomy between art, words, and the social world.


Keywords
Click a term to view the records with the same keyword
This object has the following keywords:

Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Also found in
Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios:


Your current search criteria is: Portfolio is "Looking Backward & Forward: Forty Years with NEHMA & What’s Next".





This site facilitates access to the art and artifact collections by providing digitally searchable records for thousands objects. The information on these pages is not definitive or comprehensive. We are regularly adding artworks and updating research online. We welcome your comments.