Josh Thorpe is an artist, writer, and experimental songwriter now based in Glasgow, Scotland.
Thorpe's paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, and public works have shown internationally at venues such as David Roberts Art Foundation, London; 3A Gallery, New York; Power Plant, Toronto; CSA Space, Vancouver; Museo Napoleonico, Rome; and Open City, Lublin, Poland. He has recently completed a large-scale public work for the City of Toronto.
In 2011 Thorpe was one of five artists nominated to the Sobey Art Award Ontario list and one of three finalists for the Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts Artist Award. He is also the author of Dan Graham Pavilions: A Guide, published by Art Metropole, The Unexpected, published by Swimmers Group.
Thorpe has worked as a tutor and lecturer at OCAD U, University of Toronto, Glasgow Caledonian University, and Glasgow School of Art.
Mail: jt (at) joshthorpe.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thorpesstudio/
Thorpe's paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, and public works have shown internationally at venues such as David Roberts Art Foundation, London; 3A Gallery, New York; Power Plant, Toronto; CSA Space, Vancouver; Museo Napoleonico, Rome; and Open City, Lublin, Poland. He has recently completed a large-scale public work for the City of Toronto.
In 2011 Thorpe was one of five artists nominated to the Sobey Art Award Ontario list and one of three finalists for the Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts Artist Award. He is also the author of Dan Graham Pavilions: A Guide, published by Art Metropole, The Unexpected, published by Swimmers Group.
Thorpe has worked as a tutor and lecturer at OCAD U, University of Toronto, Glasgow Caledonian University, and Glasgow School of Art.
Mail: jt (at) joshthorpe.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thorpesstudio/
Thorpe's CV
Solo Exhibitions and Special Projects
2019
Balloons in Space, Pipe Factory, Glasgow
2018
Vibrant Shed (Balloons in the Dark), DOK Artist Space, Edinburgh
Painted Threads at Dusk, Crownpoint Gallery, Glasgow
2017
Willows and Palms, Gallery 3A, New York
2016
Flag Field, City of Toronto public work, Toronto
For Real Toads, CSA Space, Vancouver
Microtones, Richard Rhodes Dupont Projects, Toronto
2015
Bees, Museo Napoleonico, Rome
Always Already, Blackwood, Mississuaga
September, Diaz Contemporary, Toronto
2013
A dog at sea, Gallery 3A, New York
2011
The House, Campbell House, Toronto
Mountains One (Santa Ana), MKG127, Toronto
On Printed Matter (w/David Court), Printed Matter, New
Around YYZ (w/David Court), YYZ Artists’ Outlet, Toronto
2010
Ambivalent Flag, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Toronto
Reading the Garden (w/David Court), Toronto Sculpture Garden
2009
On Convenience (w/David Court), Convenience Gallery, Toronto
Group Exhibitions
2019
Music video screening, YYZ Artists Outlet, Toronto
2015
Open City, Lublin, Poland
Animals, Jessica Groome Window Gallery, Toronto
My work has no meaning…, G Gallery, Toronto
2014
Softening the Corners, Birch Contemporary, Toronto
Almost Everything, Eric Arthur Gallery, Toronto
Field Trip Project, Idea Exchange, Cambridge, ON
2013
More Than Two (Let It Make Itself), Power Plant, Toronto
The Thick of It, Mercer Union, Toronto
I thought there were limits, Barnicke Gallery, Toronto
2012
Field Trip, various locations, Japan
Like-Minded, Plug In ICA, Winnipeg
mMOCCA, Gendai Gallery, Toronto
2011
Sobey Art Award Ontario Long List, Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario
2010
Untitled, G (formerly Goodwater), Toronto
Empire of Dreams, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto
A to B, MKG127, Toronto
In the Basement, Toronto Free Gallery Basement, Toronto
2009
The Object of the Attack, David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK
Fall Through, Blackwood Gallery, Mississauga, Canada
Titles, Art Metropole (curated by Yam Lau), Toronto.
Sticks for Basel Art Fair, Art Metropole, Basel, Switzerland
Master’s Thesis Show, University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto
2008
Almost Nothing, Akau, Toronto
Vehicle, Nuit Blanche, Toronto
House Lights Left Bright, home of Stacey Sproule, Toronto
Situationen, Villa Elisabeth, Berlin
2007
Staring Therapy, Space 1026, Philadelphia,
2006
Toronto Still Camera Video Festival, Gallery 1313, Toronto
2004
High-quality signaling devices (w/Sam Higgs), ting, Toronto
Collections
RBC, Toronto
MedCan, Toronto
Dan Graham, New York
Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto, Mississauga
Various private collections
Commissions and Competitions
2014
Flag Field, Maple Claire Park Public Art Competition Winner, City of Toronto
Blackbirds, Blackwood Gallery, Mississauga, Ontario
2008
Home Recording 2 (sound for Ed Pien), Musée des arts de Joliette, Québec
2007
Home Recording (sound for Ed Pien), Bellevue Arts Museum, Washington State
Education
Master’s of Visual Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, 2009
“Master Class with Harry Mathews,” The New School, New York, 2007
MA in Music Composition, York University, Toronto, 2000
BFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, 1998
Bibliography
Thorpe, Josh. Interview with The Cultural Landscape Foundation online, January, 2018.
Lacarbonara, Roberto. "Joshua Thorpe. Il brusio della storia." Espoarte online, September 2015.
Arnaudo, Luca. "Roma. Api al Museo Napoleonico." Artribune, September 26, 2015.
Alessia Cervelli. "The Bonaparte Family Meets..." Juliet Magazine, September 12, 2015.
Alessia Cervelli. "Josh Thorpe's Bees Infiltrate the Napoleonic Museum," Canadian Art Online, Aug. 11, 2015.
Whyte, Murray. "Seasonal Seduction." Toronto Star, Mar. 6, 2105.
Sandals, Leah. “Hard Edges Cushioned.” Canadian Art Online, Aug. 14, 2014.
Linsley, Robert. “Jeff Tutt Trumps Everyday Ethics with Art.” Canadian Art Online, Feb. 26, 2014.
Court, David. “On Determination: Josh Thorpe’s Ambivalent Flag.” Espace Sculpture, Winter 2011/12, p 43.
Linsley, Robert. “Josh Thorpe: Sites Unseen.” Canadian Art Online, Sept. 22, 2011.
Vegh, Stephanie, “Trending the 2011 Sobey Ontario Long List.” stephanievegh.ca, June 30, 2011.
White, Murray. “Sobey Art Prize: Ontario Nominees.” Toronto Star Online, July 11, 2011.
Hoff, Shannon. “Artificial Respiration: On Life, Environment, and Machine.” In Wood. Ed. Christof Migone. Toronto: Blackwood Gallery, 2011. 78–87.
Rhodes, Richard. “Josh Thorpe and Mathew McWilliams: Friends in Art.” Canadian Art Online, March 7, 2011.
Hutton, Jen. “A to B.” Critics Picks, Art Forum Online, July 2010.
Dick, Terence. “Empire of Dreams.” Akimbo.ca, July 14, 2010.
Honoré, Vincent. “Proposal (Notes Towards a Mental Breakdown) for Toronto,” Canadian Art, v27 n1
Regimbal, Christopher. “Interview with Josh Thorpe,” CIUT Toronto, Jan. 7, 2010.
Sandals, Leah. “Many ways to become airborne,” Globe and Mail, 7 Nov. 2009, sec R14.
Dault, Gary Michael. “Words in a window…” Globe and Mail, 29 Aug. 2009, sec R10.
Carr-Harris, Ian. Catalogue text for Master’s of Visual Studies graduating exhibition, 2009.
Ajji, Tejpal S. “Consumer Craft.” Exhibition essay for "What It Really Is" curated by Nicholas Brown at Red Bull Projects, Toronto, 2009.
Ho, Stacey. “Almost Nothing.” Things of Desire, v.1 n.16, 2008.
Boon, Marcus. “The Uniquely Canadian Sound of Ontario's Rat-drifting.” The Wire: Adventures in Modern Music n. 263, 2006, 16.
Lake, Larry. Interview on “Two New Hours.” CBC Two, July 2000.
Publishing
As writer
2019
"A Crit of the Crit," Momus, Sept. 12, 2019
2018
"A Pile of Dirt," Momus, August 29, 2018.
"Bagpipes Blew My Mind," Musicworks, December 2018
2016
The Unexpected, w/ Emily Smit-Dicks, Swimmers Group book
2014
“On Printed Matter,” C Magazine, Summer 2014
“Maura Doyle’s Pots Recast Perception,” Canadian Art Online, June 27, 2014
2013
A dog at sea, Beaucagearts Press book
The House, Beaucagearts Press catalog
“The Two Booms: Toronto’s Highrise Booms, Past and Present.” Satellite Magazine n3
2010
Prologue to Gordon Lebredt: Nonworks, CCCA and Plug-In ICA
Interview with Ian Wallace, Abstract Paintings: The Economy of the Image, Power Plant
“Architecture as Language,” One Hour Empire, n3
“Searching for Dan Graham,” Canadian Art, v27 n1
Forty-four Ways to Write, instructional booklet, OCAD University
2009
Dan Graham Pavilions: A Guide, an Art Metropole book
2007
“Marla Hlady,” Border Crossings n101
2001
“Uttered Nonsense: Jaap Blonk.” Musicworks Magazine #79
2000
“No Ulterior Motives: Wrist Error.” Musicworks Magazine #77
As publisher:
2004
Jokes of Toronto by Ryan Driver, an Off Cut Press book
2003
Very Short Stories, various authors, an Off Cut Press book
As composer/performer:
2011
Timber Piles (with the Guayaveras), 7” record, Art Metropole
2005
Flocklight, CD, Rat-drifting Recordings