Artist

Rob Thompson

Rob was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. He began his career in the arts by writing music for the Penguin Theatre Company. In his early twenties Rob enrolled in the Algonquin College film production course and after graduation he wrote and directed a number of films including the feature film, Undercurrents. It was not long however before Rob developed an interest in video and joined the SAW Video Co-op where he produced much of his early work. Rob served for many years on the SAW Video Management Committee and eventually as Chair of the board.

With a slant towards social issues Rob has explored a variety of themes in his productions including a multi-media performance on violence at the National Arts Centre Atelier, and a live event at SAW Gallery on the egg production industry where he paid two people $5,000 to live in a chicken cage for a week.

Rob’s work has been screened at a number of galleries across North America and Europe including the British Film Institute, the Irish Film Centre, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington. His productions have also been broadcast both here and in the US, as well as receiving theatrical distribution in the US.

Along with video Rob has continued his work in music with the release of a number of CDs.

Artist Code: 398

Videography

Club ViviSEXtion

1997, 15:00 minutes, colour, English

Heroin is Good for You

1995, 08:00 minutes, colour, English

The Guy Next Door

1995, 19:40 minutes, colour, English

Spick and Span

1994, 13:08 minutes, colour, English

Bonehead

1994, 24:00 minutes, colour, English

Diary of a Neo-fascist

1993, 07:00 minutes, colour, English

A Porno Mortis

1993, 23:26 minutes, colour, English

Critical Writing

Dark Ages: Le temps des indulgences
Rob Thompson: Dark Ages, 1996. Ottawa: The Ottawa Art Gallery, 1996.