Visually, aesthetically, Jeffrey Gibson’s got it down. The American artist, who’s due to represent the USA at the Venice Biennale this year, fuses pop, psychedelia and indigenous American aesthetics (drawing on his own Cherokee-Choctaw heritage) to create trippy, dizzying, ultra-bright, highly patterned paintings, all covered in bead work and found objects.
But a bit like falling for someone with an irritating laugh, despite being gorgeous paintings, they’re all also incredibly annoying. The sticking point is his use of language. Written across each work in Alighierro Boetti-like block letters are saccharine inspirational quotes. Things like ‘stay awake and tender’, ‘in time you’ll be fine’ and ‘I feel real when you hold me’. I’m sure they’re earnest and heartfelt and genuine, but paint those phrases in curly handwriting on some driftwood and you could sell them in Asda. They’re an art degree away from Live Love Laugh.
