I recently met up with artist Andrew Thompson (a.k.a. Andy T) during a visit to Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester, where he was in the process of hanging and lighting “Break With Tradition,” a show curated by Thompson and featuring an array of local artists. Besides this practical demonstration of Thompson’s chops as a curator, he curated a few choice hijinks, which included dinner at Chicken Shack, which he billed as “the authentic Southeastern Michigan experience.”

Thompson soaking in the definitive Chicken Shack environment.

Three thousand-calorie exploits aside, the afternoon speaks to one of the central tensions in Thompson’s work, which explores the interplay between art and everyday life. In his installation pieces, this translates to a longstanding exploration of commonplace materials, such as his own laundry (see above)–to the point where installations have left Thompson short on clothing–as well as projects that inform his life. In his own words, ”Anytime I do an art project, it’s very much a conscious decision that interrupts my daily life.

Thompson painstakingly hangs delicate works on paper, before the “Break with Tradition” opening.

I submit that Thompson’s approach cuts both ways, and may also be viewed as use of daily life to interfere with art as a process. Certainly, most of what he does is done in the service of art, either making, teaching or curating. In fact, it is his role as curator that Thompson seems to view as a critical contribution to art as a whole, with his personal practice of art characterized as “research” he does to help inform his teaching and curating.

Detail from illuminated cut-paper works by Stacey Malasky.

Put simply, Thompson really likes art. He likes it so much that he cherishes curating on a personal level as a way to get to interact with art he might otherwise not have access to. He also views it as a critical service to connect art with viewers and buyers. “When I think of all that art out there,” Thompson says wistfully, in the way an animal-lover might speak of volunteer hours at the Humane Society, “I just want to help it find a home.”

Thompson at work on hanging large paintings by Michael Nagara.

Nagara (left) and Thompson, in a flurry of finishing touches.

Cheers to you, Andy T. Art can always use a champion.

“Break with Tradition” will run at the Paint Creek Center for the Arts through September 20th, with a closing reception from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, September 19th.

Paint Creek Center for the Arts: 407 Pine St., Rochester; 248-651-4110; www.pccart.org