My sculptures posit a gap between perception and reality, making space to question the conditions of contemporary life and culture while testing the boundaries between what we overlook and what we esteem. Using a range of materials and methods, I remake and represent everyday objects to explore themes including consumption, illusion, and vulnerability.
Selected Exhibitions
2023
Landline, Personal Space, Vallejo, CA
Welcome, Quint Gallery, San Diego, CA
Twenty-Five Treasures, Paul Thiebaud Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Eat Me, Collarworks, Troy, NY
2022
New Sculpture, Quint Gallery, San Diego, CA (three person exhibition with Adam Belt and Christopher Puzzio)
Blunt Instruments & Projectiles, Mama’s, Vallejo, CA (solo)
2021
Text and Visual Language, Saint Louis Artist’s Guild, St. Louis, MO
California Contemporary Sculpture, Chico Art Center, Chico, CA
2020
The Potion Room, Subsidiary Projects, London, UK
2019
Long Term Relationships, Ampersand International Arts, San Francisco, CA (solo)
Copycat, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Feast & Famine, Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University Newark Extension, Newark, NJ
2018
Ordinary, Artworks Downtown, San Rafael, CA
10 X 10 X 10, Borderline Collective, San Francisco, CA
2017
Tabula Rasa, Quint Gallery, San Diego, CA (solo)
2016
Strange Reprise, state, San Francisco, CA (two person with Maria Forde)
Time and Fragments, Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, St. Louis, MO (two person with Joanna McClure)
Uncanny, Des Lee Gallery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (two person with Michael Powell)
Recognition, Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA (solo)
Mistaken Impressions, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
Lucky Draw, Sculpture Center, New York, NY
Avant Garden, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2015
The Stranger, Startup Art Fair, Hotel del Sol, San Francisco, CA (solo)
Time and Fragments, Land and Sea Project Space, Oakland, CA (two person with Joanna McClure)
Concentrate, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
Plain Airs, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
Nourish, Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA
Botanica, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Im(material), Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
Inaugural Show, Unexpected Projects at Artemis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Lucky Draw, Sculpture Center, New York, NY
Equilux, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2014
More Than One Way, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
Material Matters, WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
The Third Dimension: Four Artists, Sonoma State University Gallery. Rohnert Park, CA
Painting Now, Florence Quater Gallery, Southwest University of Visual Arts, Tucson, AZ
Object! Object!!, Helmuth Projects, San Diego, CA
Dream Spheres, CULTUREHALL, online exhibition
Managing Object Expectations, Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
As Night…, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, New York, NY
Left Coast Annual Juried Exhibition, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
Smoke & Mirrors, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
Where to From There?, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2013
Half-Life, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA (solo)
This Will Never Work, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
Sexual Souvenirs, MEEE (Pop-up by Naomi Miller), Brooklyn, NY
National Trompe l’Oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ
Miami University Young Sculptors Competition Finalist Exhibition, Hiestand Galleries, Oxford, OH
Navigating the New, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
The Show, Unspeakable Projects, San Francisco, CA
The Culture of Curation, CULTUREHALL. http://culturehall.com/feature_issues.html?no=97
Parade, Southern Exposure’s Art Auction, San Francisco, CA.
ArtPadSF, Unspeakable Projects at the Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Left-Coast Annual, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA
Alumni Exhibition, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
2012
Point of No Return, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
Arrest Me, Punch Gallery, Seattle, WA
FoodShifts, Interface Gallery, Oakland CA
Bay Area Currents, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
The Bridge Show, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Silver Era, Southern Exposure’s Art Auction, San Francisco, CA
Centering the Margin, Gallery 3175, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
2008
Paintings and Sculpture, Karl Hutter Fine Art, Beverly Hills, CA (solo)
Selected Awards / Commissions
2021
Juror’s Prize, Text and Visual Language, Saint Louis Artist’s Guild, St. Louis, MO
Juror’s Prize, California Contemporary Sculpture, Chico Art Center, Chico, CA
Facebook AIR Commission, Facebook Headquarters, Menlo Park, CA
2015
Honorary AIR Award, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
2014
Investing in Artists Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation
2013
William and Dorothy Yeck Purchase Award, Young Sculptor’s Competition, Miami University
Selected Bibliography
2019
Jayna Swartzman-Brosky. “Chris Thorson: Long Term Relationships at Ampersand International Arts.” Art Practical. November 20, 2019
2017
Hotchkiss, Sarah. “Strange Reprise Reflects on Noxious Nostalgia with Westerns and Stickers.” KQED online. January 25, 2017
2016
Chun, Kimberly. “Mistaken Impressions Explores the Inspiration of Trash”. San Francisco Chronicle January 7, 2016: E-5
Burlison, Dani. “Chris Thorson’s Recognition Isn’t What It Looks Like” KQED online. January 20, 2016.
2015
SFAQ online, Review: San Francisco’s Art Fair Weekend: Redux. Terri Cohn
How Two New Satellites Challenge San Francisco’s Art Fair Scene. Lenoa Lutz
Art Practical Review: (Im)material and The Marvelous Real. Lea Feinstein
SF Art News Blog Review: (Im)material. Michael Yochum.
2014
CULTUREHALL, Dream Spheres. Kelly Lynn Jones.
Erin C. Caldwell. New American Paintings Blog.” May 3.
Featured Artist, Sculpture Center Notebook blog. May 23.
2013
New American Paintings, No. 109, Pacific Coast Issue, Juror: Janet Bishop
SFAQ online, Review: Life cycle of a juried show. Sarah Thibault
SFAQ online, Review: Chris Thorson’s Half-Life at Rena Bransten Gallery. Kathryn McKinney
Curiously Direct, “Rena Bransten // Chris Thorson Half-Life”. April 16.
Education
2004 MFA, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
2001 BFA, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
2000 Yale at Norfolk Summer Painting Program, Norfolk, CT