Stritch Hall
650 E Pkwy S, Memphis, TN 38104
USA
Memphis artistic and musical icon Jimmy Crosthwait has been honing his artistic practice since the 1960s. Early in his career, he focused on the craft of puppetry, creating handmade puppets that have delighted audiences old and young for decades. Over the years, his artwork evolved into kinetic collages of motorized light-and-motion constructions and a series of abstract marionettes that he calls ‘Zen chimes.’ “Forgotten Fables and Footlong Fractals” will showcase a variety of Crosthwait’s work, including his marionettes and Zen chimes, a series of pen-and-ink “maze” drawings, and sculptural pieces.
Crosthwait’s artwork has been exhibited at the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers University, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis College of Art, Marshall Arts Gallery, Cooper-Young Gallery, and Southside Gallery in Oxford, MS. His work is in the collections of Cybill Shepherd; the late, great Robin Williams; Henry Turley; the Downing Pryor Collection; and film director Kirt Gunn.
“My artwork is still evolving,” Crosthwait says. “Essentially, my work is a marriage between two qualities: strength and delicacy. And, although my work has elements that might seem Eastern, or Native American—perhaps even Mayan—I hope that the cultural elements dissolve along with any particular ‘timeline’ and create for the viewer a sense of mystery and timelessness. I know that when I am working, time really does—like magic—disappear.”