Exploring the well-rounded Termesphere Gallery

SPEARFISH, S.D. (KOTA) - Termesphere Gallery in Spearfish has been operating since 1992.

“We started it because I didn’t want to run off and have shows all the time. To put up a Termesphere show is complicated, it takes motors and pivot rotations and all of that stuff,” artist Dick Termes said.

Termes found his passion for painting through a concept of a six-point perspective at the University of Wyoming.

“I’ve been painting on spheres since 1968,” Termes said.

What prompted Termes to paint on a sphere was when he wanted to show the whole environment.

“Before I was just looking through a window. Now I’ve taken the window away and actually entered those spaces. So, it’s a different concept,” Termes said.

Termes will consistently paint on a sphere, but the subject he paints changes.

“I go for pure geometry sometimes, I’m just fascinated with how stuff fits together on the sphere. And then I go for surrealism and very realistic worlds that I like to be inside of,” Termes said.

With painting different types of art forms, you might wonder what happens if he makes a mistake.

“Mess-ups are the beginning of new ideas, right? So, you just keep playing with it and see where it takes you,” Termes said.

When asked how he knows when a painting is finished, Termes said, “The artist Whistler said when they said, ‘Well, how do you know when to quit?’ He says, ‘Well, when you can’t find anything else to paint, then you’re done.’”

Termes has produced his artwork on globes, and you can find it globally.

One of his favorite paintings is The Pantheon.

For more information on Termesphere Gallery, click here, here, and here.

If you would like to recommend a local business in South Dakota, email juliana.alford@kotatv.com

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