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Lot Essay
Mysterious and engaging, David Thorpe's I am Golden marks the artists first foray into three-dimensions. The artist has built a natural environment, crowned by starbursts and geometric patterns that draw on spatial elements found in stained-glass windows or crystalline structures. First gaining recognition with his elaborate collaged paintings, Thorpe extended his explorations of the relationship between objects and their makers in I am Golden. Exchanging representation for actualisation, his sculptural work plucks imagery from his paintings and renders them in reallife. With a particular interest in the role of craft and labour in handmade design and art, Thorpe has developed his sculptures to explore further the corporeality of his idea.
Executed in 2002, I am Golden's mosaic tiled spheres form the basis of a miniature temple-like structure charged with a mysterious intent. With the inclusion of natural flora and fauna amongst crafted decorative motifs, Thorpe unites nature and artifice in a single utopian gesture. Referencing the confluence of exquisite decorativeness and the craft tradition, Thorpe's installation embraces the antithetical aesthetics of Minimalism and the Arts and Crafts movement. Because these pieces are individually made by hand they are never the same, its imperfections are testament to the aspiration or endeavor of skill in the handmade object. Each piece is ornately detailed and meticulously rendered, honouring traditional methods of handwork, where there is a close relationship between the maker and his object. Motivated by the writing of John Ruskin and in opposition to Thomas Edwards, Thorpe considers the profound pride of the artisan in his craft. There is a continual attempt to restore or develop a sense of independent dignity attached to materials and objects. Of his practice Roberta Smith of the New York Times has noted, '[David] Thorpe's work appears to mine the connection between English and American history while conflating the failed utopias and countercultures of the 19th and 20th centuries with references to science fiction, design, religion and exile. Its richness is palpable, but a little less hermeticism and more accessibility would go a long way' (R. Smith, quoted in, David Thorpe, in The New York Times, 16 December 2005).
Executed in 2002, I am Golden's mosaic tiled spheres form the basis of a miniature temple-like structure charged with a mysterious intent. With the inclusion of natural flora and fauna amongst crafted decorative motifs, Thorpe unites nature and artifice in a single utopian gesture. Referencing the confluence of exquisite decorativeness and the craft tradition, Thorpe's installation embraces the antithetical aesthetics of Minimalism and the Arts and Crafts movement. Because these pieces are individually made by hand they are never the same, its imperfections are testament to the aspiration or endeavor of skill in the handmade object. Each piece is ornately detailed and meticulously rendered, honouring traditional methods of handwork, where there is a close relationship between the maker and his object. Motivated by the writing of John Ruskin and in opposition to Thomas Edwards, Thorpe considers the profound pride of the artisan in his craft. There is a continual attempt to restore or develop a sense of independent dignity attached to materials and objects. Of his practice Roberta Smith of the New York Times has noted, '[David] Thorpe's work appears to mine the connection between English and American history while conflating the failed utopias and countercultures of the 19th and 20th centuries with references to science fiction, design, religion and exile. Its richness is palpable, but a little less hermeticism and more accessibility would go a long way' (R. Smith, quoted in, David Thorpe, in The New York Times, 16 December 2005).