Dick Termes was the first artist we worked with to bring a new type of design to life with our MOVA Globes. With our latest collaboration we get a more personal artwork with the Black Hills Termesphere, a design inspired by Dick’s hometown and surrounding areas. He talks to us about how the Black Hills shaped his life and his art, and gives us some background on his unique and interesting Termesphere Gallery.
MOVA: Let’s start by telling us how long you’ve lived in the Black Hills area of South Dakota and why you love calling it your home.
Dick Termes: I’ve lived there 74 years, basically. My folks lived here and then they were sent to California for Dad to work in the ship yards during the war. I was born in California at that time. The Black Hills have always been where I do my best work. There have been lots of opportunities to relocate to either coast over the years, but Spearfish and Black Hills are just a special place and a constant inspiration.
Tell us how the Black Hills inspired you and your art.
Many of my paintings have used images from the Black Hills but mainly I just feel comfortable here and my creative side works well when I am relaxed.
What was the thought process behind creating a combination of sites and landmarks to represent Black Hills rather than one landscape?
When I think of the Black Hills all of these places come into my mind. It would be hard to just choose one of these to represent the Black Hills.
How did you select the landmarks, sites, and symbols to feature in the artwork?
After living here for many years these are the images that come to my mind. They also are recognizable to both short-term visitors and long-term residents.
Anything you would like people to take away from this specific artwork?
I would hope this piece would make people want to come to the Black Hills and see all of this wonderful world. I also think it is the perfect gift to take home from a visit to the Black Hills.
When did you open Termesphere Gallery?
The Termesphere Gallery was built in 1994 and was strictly for the public to see my work. We did use our home ahead of this to show my Termespheres but it was by appointment only. The Termesphere Gallery is a 36 foot dome that was built just to show the Termespheres. I have another 36 foot dome that is just my studio where I do my painting. I have painted up to seven and one half foot spheres in this studio.
The gallery resides in a dome-like building – what inspired you to build it in that shape?
The year I built my first dome was 1972 when I met Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome. I got to spend a couple of days with him. Not only did he excite me about the geodesic dome but he made me aware his geometry was similar to the geometry I use in my spherical paintings.
How does an experience in your gallery differ from one in a traditional art gallery?
Very good question. It is fun to watch people walk into the gallery. They walk into the door and are blown away by what they see. I had a man pop his head into the gallery and told me he just wanted to see what this was all about but wasn’t going to be able to spend any time. He left two hours later and apologized to me.
This art work is different than the art work you see in most galleries. The work challenges the observer in many different ways with semi-transparent pieces where you see the inside and the outside of the sphere, optical illusions, famous architectural interiors, subconscious worlds, and solar-powered MOVA Globe Termespheres.
You can visit the Termesphere Gallery on your next trip to the Black Hills region, located at 1920 Christensen Dr, Spearfish, SD 57783. Like us and Termespheres Gallery on Facebook and then tag us both and tell us what you think of the newest MOVA-Termes collaboration. The Black Hills Termesphere MOVA Globe is now available for purchase directly on our website.
All photos courtesy of Dick Termes.