The Trophy Room LA is thrilled to present “Portraits,” a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Pipkin-Arnold. The exhibition runs from September 14 to October 12, 2024, and there will be an artist reception on September 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. Please join the artist and gallery in celebration. 

Drawing variously from his mother’s Mormon quilting tradition, DIY punk and hardcore culture, and modernist painting, Pipkin-Arnold’s “Portraits” are surprising windows into domestic moments. The influence of his craft and ceramic practices gives Pipkin-Arnold a slow, personal and holistic approach to his subjects, which are thoughtfully distilled and rendered in simplified shapes. 

Though distilled in some ways, these portraits are not reductive. Dyeing, quilting, embroidery and appliqué methods come together in these multifaceted textiles that almost seem to reverberate with the energy of their subjects. The artist’s personal interactions and experiences with each of his subjects—family, friends, and acquaintances—alter each image as he works on them. The intimate scenes are filled with vases of flowers, mugs of coffee, and even pets curled on the upholstery. Behind the sitters, windows open to blue mountains and pink clouds. Art on the walls of these rooms oscillates between representation and abstraction—a tension that defines this body of work.

Patrick Pipkin-Arnold (b. 1982) was raised in El Centro, CA, the heart of the Imperial Valley desert. In high school he studied ceramics, drawing, and photography, ultimately receiving his BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2005. He began hand-embroidery in 2008 as a way to keep busy between photo and video projects. Eventually incorporating machine sewing into his practice, it became his prime medium by 2016. 

To inquire about any of the artwork in this exhibition, please email info@thetrophyroomla.com.