Jeffrey Gibson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeffrey Gibson
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Gibson speaking at the Hirshhorn Museum in 2024
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| Born | March 31, 1972 Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
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| Nationality | Mississippi Choctaw, United States |
| Education | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Royal College of Art |
| Known for | Painting, sculpture |
| Spouse(s) | Rune Olsen |
Jeffrey A. Gibson (born in 1972) is an American artist. He is known for his colorful paintings and sculptures. Gibson is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and also has Cherokee heritage. He has lived and worked in different parts of New York.
In 2024, Jeffrey Gibson made history. He was the first Indigenous artist to have a solo exhibition at the American pavilion of the Venice Biennale. This is a very important art show held in Italy.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jeffrey A. Gibson was born on March 31, 1972. His birthplace was Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a child, he moved around a lot. His father worked for the United States Department of Defense. This meant Gibson lived in places like North Carolina, New Jersey, West Germany, and South Korea.
Gibson studied art in college. He earned his first degree in 1995. This was from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1998, he got his master's degree. He studied painting at the Royal College of Art in London. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians helped pay for his studies. Gibson felt grateful for this support. He said his community helped him become a strong artist.
Gibson is married to Rune Olsen, who is also an artist. They have a daughter and a son together.
Career as an Artist
Jeffrey Gibson is an artist in residence at Bard College. He also teaches art classes there. In 2010, he was a visiting artist. This was at the California College of the Arts.
Gibson likes to work in his studio from 10 AM to 6 PM. He often listens to music while he creates. His music choices are very wide. They include African funk, jazz, punk, pop, rap, R&B, and disco.
Gibson's art often explores ideas about identity. He also looks at how people use labels. His artworks use many different materials. These include Native American beadwork and traditional blankets. He also uses metal studs, fringe, and jingles.
He often uses airbrushing in his paintings and sculptures. He combines oil paint and spray paint. This creates bright, neon-colored abstract pieces. Examples include Singular (2008) and Submerge (2007). These works also show influences from graffiti. This reflects his life in New York City.
In 2024, Gibson showed his art at the Venice Biennale. His solo exhibition was called The Space in Which to Place Me. The title came from a poem by Layli Long Soldier. His art for this show talked about politics. It also explored Indigenous and American histories. The exhibition featured paintings, sculptures, flags, videos, and beadwork.
Artistic Influences
Jeffrey Gibson gets ideas from many sources. These include different materials, ways of making art, and symbols. He finds inspiration in dancing events. He especially likes the dramatic style of Leigh Bowery.
Gibson also finds ideas from Pow-wows, nightclubs, and raves. These are different places for dancing and movement. They also feature amazing fashion and regalia. He is inspired by 19th-century Iroquois beadwork. Colorful beads often appear in his art. He also puts his own twist on graffiti in his works.
His life of moving around has also shaped his art. He calls this his "nomadic lifestyle." He says it brings together different styles from each place he lived. These differences, he explains, flow through him. He tries to show this mix of cultures and experiences in his art.
Artworks and Series
Rawhide Painting Series
Gibson paints with oil and acrylic on rawhide. Rawhide is animal skin that has not been tanned. He uses wood panels covered in deer, goat, or elk skin. He often reuses old items. These include antique shaving mirrors and ironing boards. His art mixes home items with Native American and modern art styles.
One of his unique pieces is a punching bag. He made it from old Everlast punching bags. He added U.S. Army wool blankets, glass beads, and tin jingles. He also used parts of his own old paintings. This piece shows how he combines pop culture with Native American powwow styles.
His work Document, 2015 (2015) is made with acrylic and graphite on deer rawhide. It hangs with steel spikes. Under Cover (2015) was made with rawhide stretched over a wood panel.
"Atmospheric Landscapes"
Before his more recent works, Gibson created "atmospheric landscapes." These were sometimes 3-D wall art. He used oil paint and other materials. These included pigmented silicon, urethane foam, and beads. These materials became a special part of his art.
Alive (2017)
The artwork Alive was part of the Desert x exhibition. This show took place in the Coachella Valley. It was open from February to April 2017.
Totems Series
In 2009, Gibson created his own totem sculptures. This was for an exhibition in San Antonio, Texas. He called this the Totems series.
For these totems, he used various objects. These included mannequins, a wig, plastic flowers, toys, and cowboy boots. He also used flower pots and his signature spray paint. In the end, he made two human-like figures. He also created a totem pole from flower pots.
Notable Art Collections
Jeffrey Gibson's art can be found in many important museums. Some of these include:
- Crystal Bridges Museum
- Denver Art Museum
- Hood Museum
- Nasher Museum of Art
- Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
- Mississippi Museum of Art
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
- Philbrook Museum of Art
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian
- School for Advanced Research
- Speed Art Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
Notable Exhibitions
Gibson's art has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions:
- This Burning World, 2022, Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Stretching the Canvas: Eight Decades of Native Painting (2019–2021), National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center, New York
- Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day, 2018–19, Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas
- Jeffrey Gibson: Like A Hammer, 2018–19, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI
- Sakahan, 2013, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
- Said The Pigeon to the Squirrel, 2013, National Academy Museum and School, New York, NY
- Love Song, 2013, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
- Tipi Poles Performing As Lines, 2013, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, FL
- Marc Straus, 2012, New York, NY
- Shapeshifting, 2012, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
- Changing Hands 3, 2012, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
- Recent Acquisitions, 2011, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
- Recent Acquisitions, 2011, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, MA
- Collision, 2010, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
- Vantage Point, 2010, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC
- Flushing Town Hall Projects, 2008, Flushing Town Hall, New York, NY
- Group show, 2008, Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY
- Voices From the Mound, 2008, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, NM
- Group show, 2007, New England School of Art and Design, Boston, MA
- Off the Map, 2007, National Museum of the American Indian, New York, NY
- SONOTUBE, 2007, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts, Santa Barbara, CA
- BROOKLYN, 2006, Westport Arts Center, Westport, CT
- No Reservations, 2006, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT
- Paumanok-a, 2006, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
- Tropicalisms, 2006, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ
- Indigenous Anomaly, 2005, American Indian Community House, New York, NY
- (re)positions, 2001, Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, NY
Gibson has also shown his work at many art fairs and galleries.
Notable Awards and Grants
Jeffrey Gibson has received several important awards for his art:
- MacArthur Fellowship, 2019
- Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant, 2012
- TED (conference) Foundation Fellow, 2012
- Smithsonian Institution Contemporary Arts Grant, 2012
- Jerome Hill Foundation, 2012
- Eiteljorg Museum Fellowship for Native American Fine Art, 2009, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
- Ronald & Susan Dubin Fellowship, 2008, School for Advanced Research
