Thorpe Feidt (1940-2024) was a prolific painter based in Ipswich, MA, whose series The Ambiguities spanned the entirety of his 40-year career and showcases the genius mind of a reader, poet, thespian, and teacher. Inspired by literature, alchemy, and jazz, Feidt’s paintings are intended to have a life of their own. Although he never thought of himself as an abstract expressionist, he found his “home” within that discipline and let his paintings emerge from the canvas. Feidt’s Ambiguities were inspired mainly by Herman Melville’s novel Pierre, or The Ambiguities, and was supposed to be a series of 333 paintings. When he reached his goal in 1998, Feidt realized he needed to keep going. By the end of his life, the series had grown to 450 paintings. Feidt was known for reworking his paintings, many of them having multiple dates of “completion”, each layer adding new textures, emerging figures and intricate details. 

Feidt’s artistic process involved allowing each painting to develop naturally, often while listening to jazz music in the background. His paintings and the jazz he enjoyed were not separate; instead, they blended together as one form of artistic expression. Feidt originally planned for The Ambiguities to include 333 paintings, as this number holds significance in Melville’s work. However, after completing his 333rd piece (now in the Kussin Gallery) in 1998, he felt compelled to continue creating. By the end of his career, he had produced over 450 paintings and more than 1,000 line drawings. His artwork is deeply intertwined with themes of alchemy, literature, jazz, and poetry. Many of his pieces pay tribute to historical figures like Sir Isaac Newton, Christopher Marlowe, John Le Carre, and Caesar. Feidt believed that his paintings spoke a visual language that everyone could understand. He stated, “Painting is the language. It must be that way. That doesn’t mean it’s a closed speech that no one else can understand… just like jazz… as Ray Charles says, ‘everybody understands the blues’ – it’s remarkably accessible as a complex language.” As part of his creative process, Feidt often revisited his paintings, reworking them many times over the years. Most of his artworks had more than one “completion date,” with some taking over 20 years before he considered them finished. He documented his progress through a series of polaroid photos, which helped him reflect on his work and plan his next steps. This led to a body of work that is rich in layers and texture, coming to life for the viewer.

In 2018, Feidt was diagnosed with vascular dementia and he passed away peacefully in April of 2024. In “The Alchemy of a Life: Selected Works of Thorpe Feidt” we aim to explore his work in two parts. The first shows the last six years of Feidt’s work and his journey with dementia, including his very last painting. The second features earlier Ambiguities, giving us a full picture of his creative genius. We invite you to look at the details and feel each painting’s life force while listening to Feidt’s favorite jazz music, without which the paintings would be incomplete.

• Works from Feidt’s early career and final years
• Paintings that evolve across time with layered texture and color
• A unique feature of The Alchemy of a Life exhibition is the series of original jazz compositions created by The Alchemy 5—each one inspired by an individual painting in the collection. Visitors can access these interpretive soundscapes by scanning the QR code displayed beside each canvas, offering a layered, multisensory experience that brings Thorpe Feidt’s work to life through music.
• Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eMP1w1LivZPhcUww7fbG8
• Opening Reception: July 3 | 6 PM | Live Jazz Ensemble, in collaboration with The Orchestra on the Hill
• Orchestral Performance: August 10 | Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club | Featuring The Orchestra on the Hill