Press Releases
Embassy of the United States of America
Bangkok
October 29, 2008
Indiana Artist John Domont to Visit Thailand
with Department of State’s ART in Embassies Program
John Domont, a native resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, will travel to Thailand in November 2008 as an American Artist Abroad sponsored by the Department of State’s ART in Embassies Program.
Mr. Domont will visit Thailand between November 15 and 26 to engage in a series of lectures and hands-on workshops with a variety of schools, cultural institutions, students and local artists. In Bangkok, Mr. Domont will present an exhibition of his photographs of Indiana, Yellowstone National Park, Japan and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.
Mr. Domont currently has five paintings on exhibit in U.S. Ambassador Eric G. John’s official residence in Bangkok, three from his begging bowl series and two depicting the Indiana landscape. These paintings are part of a larger exhibition of twenty works at the residence by American artists, all with ties to Indiana, which is the Ambassador’s home state.
According to Ambassador John, “I wanted to find works that not only capture the soul of Indiana, but also serve as a bridge between the American heartland and Thailand. John Domont’s vibrant interpretations of farm landscapes are modern dreamlike versions of a vanishing agricultural economy. They are nostalgic, but imbued with a sense of optimism. Perhaps more interesting to our Thai guests are Domont’s three studies of Buddhist alms bowls. The artist’s exploration of Buddhism led him to create this series and when I encountered these works in his gallery, I immediately saw a bridge that led from Indianapolis to Bangkok.”
For over 40 years, the ART in Embassies Program has exhibited original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of U.S. embassy residences worldwide. Now, under the leadership of Director Anne Johnson, the Program is sending some of its participating artists to the countries where their works are displayed. The goal of this initiative, American Artists Abroad, is to extend the exhibitions beyond the walls of the residences into local communities.
“It is a gift to my work and life to collaborate with the people of Thailand, whose ideas and principles help to guide and shape my existence. I look forward to sharing the rivers of thought, creativity, and learning, and am proud to receive this support of the arts from my government,” said Mr. Domont.
For more information about John Domont and the ART in Embassies Program, visit www.domontgallery.com and http://aiep.state.gov.
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