Me as the Machine (Jul 25 – Aug 23, 2025) is a solo exhibition by Detroit-based artist FIFTY that explores what it means to create by hand in an age defined by automation and repetition. Through embroidered works on raw canvas and painted surfaces, the artist examines the tension between tool and touch, labor and vision — reclaiming the act of making as both meditative and human.

The exhibition invited viewers to reconsider the act of making as both mechanical and deeply human. Each stitch, guided by the artist’s hand, became a meditation on control and surrender — a dialogue between precision and imperfection. Using a hand-cranked embroidery machine, Johnson transformed thread into a drawing instrument, blurring distinctions between textile, painting, and illustration.

I’ve been thinking a lot about tools — the ones we rely on, and the ones we become. In this show, I’m exploring what happens when I turn myself into the machine.” — Paul Johnson (FIFTY)

FIFTY’s visual language merged vivid colors with stark black-and-white compositions, evoking rhythm and emotional contrast. In these juxtapositions, abstraction met narrative, and simplicity revealed complexity. The works pulsed with energy while maintaining a tactile intimacy, inviting close inspection of texture, form, and gesture.

Ultimately, Me as the Machine questioned not only how art is made, but who — or what — does the making. By positioning himself as the “machine,” Johnson reclaimed the process of production as an act of authorship and resistance. His practice affirmed the persistence of touch, time, and individuality in a world increasingly defined by speed and replication.

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About the Artist