Thomas Lyon Mills creates imagery on the boundary between visible and invisible worlds, where time is malleable, and reality flexible. The resulting works on paper are meticulous renderings not just of the subterranean Roman catacombs where he works, but also startling depictions of an ephemeral world, just beyond our grasp. The catacombs come alive due to his virtuosic, detailed draftsmanship, and a deep knowledge and understanding of the space that comes from years of relentless study and investigation.

While Mills’ work has always been grounded by observation of specific sites, he draws on a wide range of source material. Working from his surreal dreams, images from art history, as well as sounds, smells and sensations, the artist translates this complex amalgam into visual form. He employs a wide range of mediums, incorporating printmaking, painting, drawing, collage and sculpture, pulling together seemingly disjointed elements into his intricate compositions, a process which can take years. In addition, for the first time Mills’ three dimensional tableaux will be shown.

This year Mills was awarded the Rhode Island Council on the Arts Fellowship in painting for the third time. He has been a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design since 1986 and his work is included in many museum collections.