Josh Thorpe is an artist, writer, experimental music composer, and rock musician. His paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, and public works have shown internationally at venues such as Richard Rhodes Dupont Projects, Toronto; David Roberts Art Foundation, London; Museo Napoleonico, Rome; and Open City, Lublin, Poland. He has recently completed a large-scale public work for the City of Toronto. Upcoming exhibitions include new drawings and screenprints at 3A Gallery, New York.

Thorpe is the author of Dan Graham Pavilions: A Guide, published by Art Metropole, The Unexpected, published by Swimmers Group, as well as the novella Beginner’s Microbiome published under the name of Thorpe’s alter-ego, Joe Beginner.

Mail: jt (at) joshthorpe.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thorpesstudio/

Upcoming / current exhibitions include:​

• Flags Field, a permanent public work for the City of Toronto
• 3A Gallery, New York, TBD

Thorpe's CV

Education
2009      Master’s of Visual Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto
2007      “Master Class with Harry Mathews,” The New School, New York
2000      MA in Music Composition, York University, Toronto
1998      BFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
 
Solo Exhibitions and Special Projects
2016      Flag Field, City of Toronto (public work), Toronto
             For Real Toads, CSA Space, Vancouver
             Microtones, Richard Rhodes Dupont Projects, Toronto
             TBD, Gallery 3A, New York
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 York
             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

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
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
2014      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

Bibliography
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.
 
Grants and Awards
2014      Project Grant, Ontario Arts Council
             Travel Grant, Canada Council for the Arts
2011      Sobey Art Award, “Long List” (Ontario)
             Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts, Artist Award Finalist
             Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2010      Canada Council for the Arts, Project Grant
2009      Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
             Toronto Arts Council, Project Grants for Emerging Artists
2008      University of Toronto, Graduate Fellowship and David Buller Memorial Scholarship
2007      Monkey’s Paw Bookshop, Détournement Tournament Winner
             University of Toronto, Graduate Fellowship and David Buller Memorial Scholarship
2004      Awards and recognition for Off Cut Press book design: Applied Arts, Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, Coupe Magazine, Broken Pencil Magazine
2002      Canada Council for the Arts, Grants to Individual Musicians
2001      ArrayMusic, Young Composers’ Workshop
2000      Vancouver New Music, Young Composers’ Award, 2nd place
’98-9      York University, Entrance Scholarship and Graduate Assistantship
’94-8      Simon Fraser University, Ongoing Undergraduate Scholarship, University Service Award, Marcia Scholarship in Electroacoustics, Dean’s List
 
Publishing
As writer
2016      Beginner's Microbiome, Beginner's Editions, book
             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
2012      “Quick: a Blog,” joshthorpe.wordpress.com
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
 
Public Presentations
2016      Graduate Symposium, University of Western Ontario, London, ON
2015      "Softening the Corners," Birch Contemporary, Toronto
2010      “Sunday Scene,” Power Plant, Toronto
2009      Experimental music projects the Thorpe, You Do, and Maybe Baby.
             Panel of young sculptors organized by Tejpal Ajji at the Barnicke Gallery.
2008      Panel discussion of composer James Tenney at the Music Gallery.
2005      “The Opossum,” a lecture for Trampoline Hall.