INTRODUCTION

Terrill Thomas’ work is about connections: to nature, to identity, and to creativity. He says that his artistic explorations in the Graphic Design Master’s program at Vermont College of Fine Arts were “essentially a search for meaning and an exploration of identity using the research tools of art and graphic design.” This search led him to Resonance, an installation of lights, translucent sculpture, concrete blocks and willow branches.

Each light sculpture holds meaning: the wire towers that provide the framework and support for the lights are metaphors for the shaping of our personal beliefs; the metal rods represent our values; our identities are seen in the layers of translucent material wrapped around this framework. The glowing lights are at once ethereal and substantial. Though they’re placed intentionally in the space, viewers are invited to engage with the sculptures by moving them and manipulating their illumination, creating an immersive, participatory experience.

At the core of Resonance is a search for peace. In our busy lives, sometimes the greatest luxury is stillness and the opportunity to be silent. It is in these spaces where we can find sanctuary and wonder.

There is a purposeful ambiguity to Terrill’s work, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions and providing space for new realizations. “Our brain is challenged even more when the purpose of the work is not entirely spelled out,” he says. “Each of us will connect the dots a little differently.”

Quiet. Space. Illumination. Reflection. In finding his essence, Terrill made indelible connections with others. Writing to his grad school faculty and classmates, he says of Resonance, “Though distance separates, know that each of you is represented here by these lights sculptures, creating a sanctuary, a sacred place to be.”

Leslie Tane, October 2014