Galleries 5
“The Pippins: Dilemma of Colors”
Charles Winthrop Norton (1994 - 2019)
November 4 - February 28th, 2022
Late artist, Charles W. Norton’s, whimsical “Pippins” on view at High Line Nine to support Project Healthy Minds and raise Mental Health awareness
About the Exhibit
High Line Nine is honored to present “‘The Pippins: Dilemma in Color” an exhibit featuring a collection of approximately 57 Pippin drawings with remarkable shading in color pencil and 21 corresponding poems by the late Charles Norton, each featuring a satirical character known as a Pippin.
The colorful Pippin drawings symbolize the two sides of life, both the public and the private. Each individual Pippin challenges the internal conflict between the appearance of normality on the outside and turmoil on the inside. These works are both colorful and wonderfully humoristic but also offer a glimpse into a darker trauma and a more complex societal narrative. Through his collection of Pippins, the artist seeks to provide a glimpse into his present struggle with the past and the delicate balancing act of managing these intertwined forces. As he once put it: “when shit from the past comes and spooks you, tell it to politely fuck off…”.
“Charles could have chosen any life for himself, but he, like most artists, carried the burden of his own vision. And for Charles, this vision took the form of seeing the world as a roundly unfair place. Like Pippin, Charles was dissatisfied with both his own position in life and the state of the world writ large. He wanted to change things both for himself and for others.”
-Shai Baitel, Inaugural Artist Director of Modern Art Museum Shanghai
About The Artist
Born in Washington D.C, Charles Winthrop Norton spent his formative years in Bali, Singapore and France where his art would be influenced by his time in Provence and the works of Paul Cezanne. Travel provided him with a rich cultural, spiritual, and global perspective. After receiving his International Baccalaureate in Art, Charles attended school in Switzerland at Les Roches and later decided to pursue his passion for art with study at Intuilab in Aix-en-Provence. Charles continued his exploration of art and design when he moved to London to study Architecture at Central Saint Martin School of Art. Charles would eventually move to Brooklyn, New York in 2018 as a full-time artist where he could be close to his beloved family.
Charles battled with severe depression and mental health issues leading to his death in July 2019 at 24 years old. Despite his young age, Charles left us with a prolific body of work including drawings, illustrations, sketches, poetry, paintings with a strong love for vibrant and unusual color combinations and two children’s books. Charles also developed a close multi-medium collaboration with his mother, sculpture Brigitte Norton, covering her sculptures in thousands of painted dots. The work that Charles left behind reflects his charismatic personality, his empathy for humanity and his wonderful, everlasting, sense of humor.
Now Open: “The Pippins” Shop
Purchase fine art prints, cards, book, and more and bring home a pippin of your own! All proceeds from the shop will go to Project Healthy Minds.
An Exhibition with a Cause
A collaboration with Project Healthy Minds
Project Healthy Minds
A new nonprofit for a new era of mental wellness
All proceeds from “The Pippins: Dilemma in Color” at High Line Nine will benefit Project Healthy Minds, a millennial/Gen Z-driven non-profit startup focused on tackling one of the defining issues of our generation: the growing mental health crisis. Project Healthy Minds builds anti-stigma campaigns that change attitudes, technology that makes it easier and faster to discover help, and programs and partnerships that expand access to care.
Funds donated to Project Healthy minds will support three objectives; to de-stigmatize conversations around mental illness, to provide access to mental health resources for individuals struggling with mental health and the friends and families that support them, and to support education and research dedicated to mental health.
Contributions from Leerform
To construct the pedestals, Leerform formulated our own biodegradable wood composite with the intention of breaking the cycle of needless waste. We repurposed solid wood shavings from a local mill and combined them with an adhesive blend of non-toxic, food-grade polymers. At the end of their use, these pedestals can be composted, preventing harm to the environment and human health.