Exhibition

Michael C. Thorpe: Solid Space
March 12 - May 4, 2022

Louis Buhl & Co. presents a solo-exhibition with New York-based artist Michael C. Thorpe, titled Solid Space. Through the use of bright colors, organic shapes, and meandering quilting patterns, Thorpe explores the limitations of both social constructs and textiles. He combines fabrics, imagery, and language to evoke alternative perspectives on the human experience, while referring back to the quilting tradition of his mother’s family and the rich history of African American quilting.

Straying away from a detail-oriented method of approaching his subject matter, Thorpe has begun to place a heightened focus on color and form, the quilts featured in Solid Space marking his most conceptual body of work to date. Incorporating elements of Abstract Expressionism, the multi-colored, flat compositions introduce a sense of anonymity, where shapes are immediately identifiable, yet the lack of detail allows for endless interpretations. Thorpe draws inspiration from a number of artists such as Henri Matisse, Milton Avery, and, notably, Bob Thompson. Through Thompson’s bold and unconventional assignment of color, he succeeds in eliminating ties to the individual self; it is this level of ambiguity that Thorpe strives to achieve in his work.

While the quilts’ imagery is visually simple and seemingly effortless, the technique to procure this outcome is paradoxically complex. Rather than constructing loosely honest interpretations of his subjects as he has done in the past, Thorpe must strategically reduce each shape through a thoughtful determination of their most critical stylistic elements. As forms develop, color comes into play, the dexterous designation of various vivid tones throughout each composition a fundamental concern of Thorpe’s. The relationship between quilting and color is one that is unique to most other forms of art. As opposed to a painter, for example, who has the ability to fabricate practically any color imaginable, a quilter is much more limited in the resources they bear access to, having to pick and choose from pre-existing fabrics available in the confinement of their geographic location. A challenge no doubt, Thorpe is a strong believer in the idea that the restriction of resources can oftentimes yield a greater level of creativity, as one is forced to conceive something incredible and provoking out of the finite material they have.

Embracing a non-linear path, Thorpe’s newfound approach to art-making comes as a reaction to the past year, one of not only continued adjustment to the social atmosphere brought on by the pandemic, but also one of rapid growth and emergence as an artist. In response to the overwhelming pressure felt to constantly produce more and more work, each piece better than the last, Thorpe recognized a need to slow down and reevaluate his purpose. Allowing himself the space to explore, make mistakes, and sit with his work for extended periods of time—all freedoms previously self-denied—he has acquired a clear understanding of who he is as an artist today, where he wants to go, and how to properly articulate these thoughts to the viewer.

Subjective and oblique, the quilts included in the exhibition are, above all, intended to spark conversation, allotting viewers the opportunity to draw their own associations from the scenes based on personal experiences. Thorpe is interested in exploring the idea of collage—not merely in the literal sense of the word which relates to the physical act of quilting, but also in the figurative sense in that we, as humans, are collages, each made up of our own unique adventures, relationships, interests, and more.

Michael C. Thorpe: Solid Space is on view from March 12 through May 4, 2022.