Hollis Brown Thornton (USA, 1976) was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. In spring of 1999, Thornton received his B.F.A. from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. During this time, he studied painting with "Philip Mullen":http://philipmullen.com. Following college graduation, Thornton occupied a studio space at "Gallery 701":http://www.701cca.org/ in Columbia, South Carolina, where he had his first solo exhibition in early 2000. It was in preparation for this show that he began developing the pigment transfer process.

Thornton moved to Chicago in August 2001, taking employment as a gallery director at "Mongerson Gallery":http://www.mongersongallery.com (3 1/2 years) and Assistant Preparator at "Russell Bowman Art Advisory":http://www.bowmanart.com (2 years). His relationship with the "Linda Warren Gallery":http://www.lindawarrengallery.com/ began in the spring of 2004, which continues to this day. While in Chicago, it became apparent that the South was a significant aspect of Thornton’s work and it ultimately drove him to return home. Since August 2005, Thornton has been working out of his warehouse studio in Aiken, SC, as a full time artist.

As of August 2005, Thornton has been working out of his warehouse studio in Aiken, South Carolina, as a full-time artist. In April 2011, he and his wife opened the contemporary clothing boutique, "Threads":http://www.ilovethreads.com in downtown Aiken.