Thorpe Feidt (1940-2024) was a prolific painter based out of Ipswich, MA, and was a beloved professor of art and art history at Montserrat College, where he began teaching in 1973. One of his most significant projects was a series called The Ambiguities, which started in 1975 and was inspired by Herman Melville’s book, Pierre, or The Ambiguities. Although Melville’s book didn’t receive much praise from the public, Feidt found a deep connection to it and created his series as a response. His early paintings in The Ambiguities featured darker colors and themes, but as the series evolved, he became known for vibrant bursts of color. Towards the end of his life, after being diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2018, his works shifted back to that initial darkness, symbolizing a return to his beginnings.

Now on view at The Umbrella Arts Center, a selection of Feidt’s work spans some 30 years of his career over two floors of The Umbrella Arts Center, much of available for bidding in a new online auction.

Learn more at https://theumbrellaarts.org/feidt