The Work of Darrell Thorne to be Featured in UNDER GLASS AND IN COLOR Exhibition

Chashama and the National Endowments for the Arts are partnering to present a unique exhibition Under Glass and in Color featuring the work of Darrell Thorne, the Out 100 designer and performance artist known for his work with Madonna, Jennifer Hudson, Blondie and more. As part of Enlivening NYC, the new public installation will be featured at a unique pop-up venue at 55 Avenue A at East 4th Street in Manhattan. The current preview period continues through the official opening on Friday, June 19, with a sunset performance at 8:30 PM. In addition, Thorne's 3-4 hour makeup and body paint preparation will be available for public viewing. The exhibition will continue through Sunday, July 12. Under Glass and In Color combines an exhibition, a residency, and a durational performance into a vibrant celebration of life through costume, makeup, dance, and transformation.

Against a backdrop of feathers, flowers, metal, and mirrors, artist Darrell Thorne will create original headpieces, apply makeup and body paint, perform dance pieces, sing songs and perform lip-synchs, write his memoirs, interact with passersby, and juxtapose everyday mundane activities with transformation, ritual, and elevation.

Performances take place in the windows of a former bank lobby, surrounded by over 80 of Thorne's original designs, including a bespoke mask created for Madonna and worn in her "Living for Love" video, numerous pieces featured in Steven Klein's Brooke Candy video "Opulence", and a series of 18 pieces created for the Park Avenue Armory, inspired by architectural details of the building. Also on display will be a large piece created for the HBO series "High Maintenance." Additionally, a digital art exhibit featuring video projections of Thorne and his dancers edited and manipulated by multimedia artist Morgan Freeman will play on a loop.

In a moment where we all must live with barriers, Under Glass and in Color invites viewers to observe an artist under glass, in a world of his own creation. 24/7 exhibition window viewing, performances happening periodically. Private tours of the exhibit (Corona precautions observed) can be arranged by emailing thornedarrell@gmail.com.

Darrell Thorne is a Brooklyn based, multi-disciplinary artist and producer working in the areas of design, makeup, and performance art. His viral videos have garnered millions of views on Facebook and, just in the last three weeks, 8 million views on TikTok. He works regularly in nightlife, theatrical, and private events in New York City, nationally, and internationally. He was a featured artist at the Park Avenue Armory Gala in 2016, 2017, and 2019, with a residency leading up to the event, and he produces large scale spectacles with his company of dancers for institutions like Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Chashama, New York Academy of Art, and multiple private and corporate foundations. Previous live performances include Ageha (Tokyo), the Starcount Social Star Awards (Singapore), Selfridges (London), Funkhaus (Berlin), The Life Ball (Vienna), Avant-Garde (Munich), the Mexico City Cabaret Festival, and as the opening act on "RuPaul's Drag Race" Premiere Tour.

His performances and original designs have been featured in videos for Jennifer Hudson, Blondie, Brooke Candy, The Magnetic Fields, and Steven Klein, and as a principal character on Season 2 of HBO's "High Maintenance." He created a custom mask for Madonna, worn in her "Living for Love" video, a custom headpiece for Giovanna Battaglia, which she described as "Oscar-worthy," a series of Hindu deities for Martha Stewart that she called "wonderfully designed" and "amazing," and the winning headpiece worn by Yvie Oddly in Season 11 of "RuPaul's Drag Race." Thorne also created an original headpiece for the debut of Mila, Great Sorcerer, a new opera that debuted as part of the Prototype Festival in 2019. His work has been featured in editorials for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, King Kong Magazine, Bust Magazine, Paper, Numero and V Magazine. Darrell was named one of the Out 100 in 2015 and works out of his studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

To learn more about Thorne and his work, visit his website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. For more information, please visit: www.darrellthorne.com