ABOUT THE ARTISTS…

ARTexchange/conversations
Carlo Grassini and Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas is a co-artist of this show entitled “ARTexchange/conversations” (the Exchange) with fellow artist and dear friend, Carlo Grassini. After completing his Master’s at the Philadelphia College of Art and his Ph.D at Penn State, he then was balancing making art while teaching art in the secondary schools of Philadelphia. He moved on to teaching art at West Virginia University for 35 years. He retired in 2006 and moved to a Philadelphia suburb called Oreland. People ask what he will do now that he’s retired, “I just do a whole lot more of what I did when I had a job!” 

Carlo Grassini

Carl Grassini was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and lived his first 7 years in So. Philly, then his family moved west
to Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
During the following years he attended Catholic Schools ending with Monsignor Bonner High School, June 1960. 

Carl met William (Bill)Thomas, oddly enough during admissions registration day at the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA).
They have been close artist-friends ever since. We are talking about over 60 years & still counting! 

Their Alma Mater institution has since been re-named the University of the Arts, at Broad and Pine Streets, Philadelphia, PA.
After graduating with a BFA from PCA in 1964, Carl moved to Brooklyn, NY. where he was teaching printmaking techniques at 

the Pratt AdLib Press, of Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY.
During those 3 years he was an understudy to the Master Print Maker James Lanier, who he refers to this day, as his mentor. Over the next 30+ years Carl has had a varied and checkered life. The majority of those years spent as an Artist Educator while also
finding time to be creative. He is still based primarily in graphite, paint and brush. 

During these years his wife once referred to him as “Carlo”! 

Having liked the sound of that, he has since adopted that form for his first name basis. Thus the birth of Carlo Grassini.
Carlo Grassini now lives & paints in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York USA. 

His neighborhood is a thriving multi-national mix.
It has the distinction of being the 3rd and fastest growing Asian community in New York City.
While New York is large, the Sunset Park area is more like a village on the scale of Hong Kong.
Everything is relative and related. 

Bill & Carlo Artist Statement

For the past five+ years Carl has been collaborating with good friend=artist Bill (Bishop) Thomas.


Called the ARTexchange/conversations, they use the U.S. postal service (snail-mail) as their conduit from their studios. The works travel back and forth until they finalize each work. Works generally take months to complete.


Bill will begin the process by adding an image, or part of one on a 15x9 work and mail to Carlo. Carlo will respond to it by adding another image, work or phase or maybe a color or texture. Sometimes a work may trigger a short series of works that seem related by contrast, similarity or overall feel. This exchange continues until we decide that there is no more to add or take away. They then move on to create new works . Bill suggests some of his sources are discussion, something he has experienced or heard, saw on TV/Movies or other art. 

Bill suggests The Exchange is a life-line to their shared personal and artistic past. It sustains their visual and verbal language and their longing for a poetic friendship.
All versions are cataloged and digitally recorded on the grassini computer. 

Our ARTworks may be viewed 24/7 on Saatchi Art> https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/211 

Carlo's and Bill’s introduction to Sean O’Neill is a welcoming aspect of the ongoing artists story. View Sean’s Bio and connect the dots.