Accidental art: Martyn Thompson turns his used rags into painterly textiles

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. For Martyn Thompson that phrase rings true.
The New York-based artist and force behind Martyn Thompson Studio has found another use for his discarded drop-cloths and rags, transforming them into beautiful woven tapestries and fabrics that can be applied to everything from wall hangings to lamp shades.
Aptly named ‘The Accidental Expressionist’, the collection of jacquard-woven fabrics and murals made its debut at The Future Perfect in New York last week.
Often overlooked details and the force of the artist’s hand were the focus of the collection, as Pollack-esque splatters encouraged viewers to closely examine each textile to see the layering of colours and stains that went into it. For each piece, the incidental marks left by the artist from past projects have been collected and photographed, elevated and given new meaning as they were transformed from by-product to end product.
Visitors to The Future Perfect’s showroom can see the collection applied as upholstery to furniture, made into pillows and – in the case of the 'Quarry' lamp – a lamp shade.
Resembling somewhat haphazard stacks of ceramic shards, the 'Quarry’ lamp is a collaboration between Thompson and the artist Dove Drury Hornbuckle. Made by hand, Hornbuckle crafts the composition of each lamp, with the crowning feature of each being a bespoke shade from Martyn Thompson Studio. The lamp is also available in a cast bronze edition, finished in a variety of patinas.
Aptly named ‘The Accidental Expressionist’, the collection of jacquard-woven fabrics and murals made its debut at The Future Perfect in New York
For each piece, the incidental marks left by the artist from past projects have been collected and photographed, elevated and given new meaning as they were transformed from by-product to end product
Viewers are encouraged to closely examine each textile to see the layering of colours and stains that went into each piece
INFORMATION
The ’Accidental Expressionist’, available from $380 per yard. For more information, visit The Future Perfect’s website
ADDRESS
The Future Perfect
55 Great Jones Street
New York, NY 10012
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
What is the role of fragrance in contemporary culture, asks a new exhibition at 10 Corso Como
Milan concept store 10 Corso Como has partnered with London creative agency System Preferences to launch Olfactory Projections 01
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-up
Jack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictions
The studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Designer Danny Kaplan’s Manhattan showroom is also his apartment: the live-work space reimagined
Danny Kaplan’s Manhattan apartment is an extension of his new showroom, itself laid out like a home; he invites us in, including a first look at his private quarters
By Diana Budds Published
-
New Superhouse show captures the rebellious spirit of Dan Friedman’s Manhattan apartment
In the late 1970s, graphic designer and artist Dan Friedman transformed his apartment into a Day-Glo laboratory of ideas. Now, a new exhibition at Superhouse in New York revisits his vibrant, rebellious world
By Ali Morris Published
-
This Beirut design collective threads untold stories into upholstered antique furniture
Beirut-based Bokja opens a Notting Hill pop-up that's a temple to textiles, from upholstered furniture to embroidered cushions crafted by artisans (until 25 March 2025)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
15 highlights from Heimtextil: spot the textile trends for 2025
We were at textile trade fair Heimtextil 2025 in Frankfurt last week – here are the trendsetters and names to know among innovative launches, from health-boosting lava fabric to sheets made of milk
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Published
-
From migrating elephants to a divisive Jaguar, was this the best Design Miami yet?
Here's our Design Miami 2024 review – discover the best of everything that happened at the fair as it took over the city this December
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotion
In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
California cool: Studio Shamshiri debuts handmade door handles and pulls
Los Angeles interior design firm Studio Shamshiri channels the spirit of the Californian landscape into its handcrafted hardware collections. Founder Pamela Shamshiri shares the inspiration behind the designs
By Ali Morris Published
-
Is Emeco's 'No Foam KNIT' a sustainable answer to synthetic upholstery textiles?
'Make more with less' is Emeco's guiding light. Now, the US furniture maker's new mono-material textile, the 'No Foam KNIT', may offer a sustainable solution to upholstery materials
By Ali Morris Published