Painted into a corner

Disu Dang

Most of us see corners as something to negotiate on our way to something better. But it takes an artist to really see how special they are.

A solo exhibition by British-born, US-based artist Stephen Thorpe, Enter the Forest at the Darkest Point, presents a new body of work created in the summer of 2022, all of them featuring one thing: corners.

The Margate-born artist, a professor of painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, is known for his colorful, interior-based paintings, where rooms are metaphors for the interiors of the mind.

In the past, his paintings used to show whole rooms. Only after Covid did he zoom in on the corners.

"I guess It's everything you've been through and also heard from other people in this pandemic, all these restrictions have an impact on your mind," he said.

In this exhibition, his acclaimed "corner" paintings are presented in a holistic and immersive manner.

He said: "Corners are not something that people usually pay attention to. You don't stare at it for a long time unless you're a 12-year-old being punished by your teacher. But instead of a punishment, it can also be a source of calmness, a place that makes you take a good look into yourself."

When creating the works on show, he was reminded of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In the ancient Mesopotamian legend, the hero had to enter a dark forest to slay a monster and discover his true mission in life.

"The story of Gilgamesh just reminds me of how you have to enter the forest at the darkest point to see your true self," he said. "I hope my paintings can lead the audience to also take this journey of self-discovery."

One thing you'll notice when staring at these corners is that two completely different painting methods are used for the walls and the floor: walls are thickly textured with mostly monochromes, while floors are patterned in a more smooth and intricate manner.

By creating this distinction between the two parts of a corner, the artist urges us to think of the differentiated, often conflicting, parts of our minds. This type of contrast is also a common theme in Thorpe's paintings.

In Order to Know the Light, We Must First Experience the Darkness depicts a distinct contrast between a beam of light and a dark shadow on the other side.

"To me, it implies the common antitheses people face every day - for example, right and wrong, good and evil, and the like. I want viewers to look at the painting and really ponder which path they're going to take," said Thorpe.

However, the artist doesn't want the viewers to be limited to his perspectives: "Everything in my painting is really open to interpretation; it depends on the person who sees it," he said.

The solo exhibition Enter the Forest at the Darkest Point is showing at Ora-Ora, Central, until January 8.