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Flatlanders Sculpture Supplies and Art Galleries
Ken Thompson, a sculptor for over 50 years, operates Flatlanders Art Gallery in Blissfield, MI, a showcasing all kinds of art. With about 80 pieces on view, Flatlanders covers a wide array of artistic tastes.
Thompson began sculpting in 1975 and opened his first gallery around 1978. He turned his friend’s Ford car dealership into Flatlanders in 1982. “I started doing public sculpture because I saw that there was money to be made in doing large pieces. . . You had municipalities and universities and corporations that were putting money out there to spend on big pieces,” Thompson explains.
Including the public in his work
Thompson describes his artwork as clean sheets of paper; work that weighs in on community impact, adding, “When you’re doing public work, you have to be ready to include the public into your work. Having a preconceived idea — this is what I’m going to do and that’s all there is to it; it’s not going to get you terribly far.”
For his work, Thompson draws perspective from the community and applies his personal touch. “Every piece I do is 75% to 80% me, and therest is what [the] community has brought to me. That’s what you have to be open-minded about it [as an artist],” Thompson said.
Thompson’s work can have significant impact, based on the effort that is poured into a piece, depending on the elements and the message; the end result comes from the connection to the community, where the art will be displayed. “I’ve done war memorials;
I did a Vietnam piece in Toledo and there is a sense . . . of honor for those veterans and show(ing) some sympathy or an understanding of what they went through and then trying to translate it into your work,” Thompson said.
Commissions for other artists
Thompson tries not to limit Flatlanders. In addition to creating and showcasing sculptures, Thompson also commissions work for other artists, locally and nationally. “There comes a point when you’ve either got too much work that you can’t make it all, or you’ve gotten older, and you no longer have the strength to do the work, especially when you’re working in things like steel and stone.” Thompson relates.
The art he has produced is meant to serve as a way for the public to see the message they want to see. “Every situation is different; you try to address the situation that’s sitting right in front of you because it’s important when you’re doing public sculpture that the community buys into what you’re doing and that they have a sense of ownership in it.”
Thompson’s work endures as lasting messages and inspiration for people experiencing it.
Flatlanders Gallery showcases artwork from a variety of mediums. Gallery hours are M-F, 8am to 5pm. Free and open to anyone. flatlanderssculpture.com. (517) 486-4591.
