It’s not often that contemporary Native American art gets a significant showing in the art scene. New York City’s Marc Straus gallery, located in the Lower East Side, is currently staging ‘New Work by Native American Artist Jeffrey Gibson’, which casts its folkloric traditions in a modern light.
Half Choctaw, half Cherokee and born to parents who grew up on reservations, Jeffrey Gibson spent his childhood years on army bases from Fort Bragg to Seoul, Korea. But after obtaining a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art and spending a stint in Santa Fe, Gibson began to turn out a distinctive oeuvre of sculpture, painting and more, that merges traditional Native American craft traditions with contemporary art - social and political commentary included.
On view are 15 examples that draw on Gibson’s ancestry. From beaded wall hangings which reference Navaho blankets to a bevy of deer hides emblazoned with his paintings, the works go beyond just being simply decorative. For example, with regards to the beaded quilt wall hanging ‘American History’, the artist says, ‘it represents a historical garment, but speaks of my ancestry while finding identity and freedom.’
A series of intricately beaded punching bags refer to the cathartic nature of the sport. ‘The turquoise beaded Sharecropper encapsulates the poverty of my grandparents,’ relates Gibson. ‘Their plight, struggle and endurance is not to be forgotten,’ he adds.
Gibson’s quixotic works can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the National Gallery of Canada and the Smithsonian, but he recently garnered further creds in the haute museum world in yet another way. In a gallery panel held this over the weekend, Glenn Adamson, Museum of Arts and Design director said, ‘Jeffrey’s new work confirms his ability to marry the tradition of craft created by a marginal culture with a dynamic sense of exchange of ideas.’
Gibson, who spent his childhood years on army bases from Fort Bragg to Seoul, Korea, earned a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art and currently lives in Brooklyn
Gibson's distinctive oeuvre of sculpture, painting and more, merges traditional Native American craft traditions with contemporary art - social and political commentary included. Pictured: 'All for One, One for All' ,2015, drift wood, hardware, wool, canvas, glass beads, artificial sinew, metal jingles, nylon fringe, ribbon, steel studs, high fire glazed ceramic
A series of intricately beaded punching bags refer to the cathartic nature of boxing
'The turquoise beaded Sharecropper encapsulates the poverty of my grandparents,’ explains Gibson. ‘Their plight, struggle and endurance is not to be forgotten.’
Document, 2015, 2015 , Acrylic and graphite on deer rawhide, steel
INFORMATION
‘New Work by Native American Artist Jeffrey Gibson’ runs until 13 December
Photography: Courtesy of Marc Straus Gallery
ADDRESS
Marc Straus Gallery
299 Grand Street
New York
-
It’s a mighty big read: the October 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale nowMeet Craig Green and Irma Boom, travel to Tbilisi and Marseille, and delve into enduring design in the October issue, an epic celebration of the long read – on a newsstand near you
-
The Audi Concept C strives for clarity, drawing on the past to present a new face for the futureLaunched this month in Milan, the Audi Concept C is a reboot of both design language and visual identity for the German manufacturer
-
Snøhetta and Citterio’s new modular furniture can adapt to any living spaceFor Paris Design Week 2025, Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and Italian furniture brand Citterio present the 'Borealis' collection rooted in clean lines and architectural geometry
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekHere in the UK, summer seems to be fading fast. Moody skies and showers called for early-autumn rituals for the Wallpaper* team: retreating into the depths of the Tate Modern, slipping into shadowy cocktail bars, and curling up with a good book
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAnother week, another flurry of events, opening and excursions showcasing the best of culture and entertainment at home and abroad. Catch our editors at Scandi festivals, iconic jazz clubs, and running the length of Manhattan…
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San FranciscoThe artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
The spread of Butter: the Black-owned art fair where artists see all the profitsThe Indianapolis-based art fair is known for bringing Black art to the forefront. As it ventures out of state to make its Los Angeles debut, we speak with founders Mali and Alan Bacon to find out more
-
Steve Martin wants you to visit The Frick CollectionThe actor has appeared in a video promoting New York’s newly renovated art museum
