Michael C Thorpe: 14 Years Old
November 10, 2022 - January 14, 2023
Forum Gallery presents 14 Years Old, the inaugural New York solo exhibition for Michael C. Thorpe.
At just 29 years of age, Thorpe is an exciting young artist who has burst on to the art scene telling stories about his world expressed in quilts of colorful fabric and inventive composition, meandering stitching and printed canvas, in playful pencil and stitched drawings, and in surprising sculptural works. 14 Years Old presents thirty new works by Thorpe and continues through January 14, 2023.
"This show is titled 14 Years Old because that’s how old I feel in my art career. 14 years old is right when most kids are transitioning from middle school to high school. I remember I found a couple things that I was good at (i.e. sports) but I was still open to exploring other things. That’s exactly how I see my practice. I learned I can draw fairly well, quilt a little better and I know how to collage. With those tools I’ve been pushing myself to explore and experiment with different styles and materials to depict the world around me."
__Michael C. Thorpe
"Pieces that are printed on canvas start from a found photograph or my own photography that I was attracted to. Printing the photo out on canvas and then quilting on top of it plays with the idea of what a quilt can be. Adding different material and different images to work with allows myself to deepen the meaning of the work. I blend an old tradition of quilting with the new age technology of sophisticated digital printing."
__Michael C. Thorpe
Gunther Place, 2022
textile, quilting cotton and thread
60 ¾ x 85 ½ inches
SOLD
Poo in the Library, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
51 x 38 inches
SOLD
Someone who would def whoop yo ass, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
45 x 41 1/2 inches
Stolen from a Henry Taylor Painting, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
44 ½ x 35 inches
Hopeless Romantic, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
40 ½ x 35 ¾ inches
SOLD
Slim Jim, 2022
polyester plush and wood
85 1/2 inches tall
SOLD
Corner, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
38 ¾ x 24 ½ inches
SOLD
Mikey’s Secret Hideout, 2022
polyester, plush, wood, and quilting cotton
69 x 26 x 28 ½ inches
(double-click image for interior view)
SOLD
Birdman finger painting @ 46 in kindergarten class, 2022
textile, quilting cotton and thread
55 x 38 ¾ inches
Studio Window, 2022
Fabric, wood, metal
84 x 78 inches
SOLD
Untitled #1, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
11 x 9 1/2 inches
SOLD
Untitled #2, 2022
Textile, quilting cotton and thread
11 x 9 1/2 inches
SOLD
Prospect Park, 2022
Paper color pencil
11 x 8 1/2 inches
SOLD
North Haven, 2022
Graphite on paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
SOLD
"While studying the likes of Martin Kippenberger, David Hammons, Lubaina Himid, Alvaro Barrington, Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Black Mountain College, and the Dada movement, I began to understand my lineage in the arts. I was so attracted to their ability to explore and experiment, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. My whole life I’ve been hard to categorize and now I want that same feeling about my work."
__Michael C. Thorpe