Nights Through Dreams, Tell the Myths Forgotten by the Day, 2020
Oil on canvas
47.2 x 39.4 inches, (120 x 100 cm)
Further images
Like all of Thorpe’s paintings, this work is Thorpe’s attempt to bring unconsciousness to the fore – both for himself and the viewer. He uses a variety of psychoanalytical techniques to gain access to his psyche and understand the symbolism and automatic mark making that appears in the work, specifically those objects that appear in dreams and later in his paintings.
The symbols that appear here – the flamingo and the dragon – are both animals whose meanings can be interpreted differently. Flamingoes can symbolize femininity, beauty and grace, whereas the dragon, denoting power and strength in the East, and destruction and Chaos in the West. The symbolic meanings are also apparent through the choice of color and their associated meanings: pink as innocence, cuteness, femininity and girlhood, with the rich, ultramarine blue denoting knowledge, authority and power.
Exhibitions
Semi-Conscious - Galerie Ora-Ora - Hong Kong