Choctaw-Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson, who made history as the first Indigenous artist to present a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale's U.S. Pavilion, recently engaged in a wide-ranging conversation with avant-garde fashion icon Michèle Lamy about his artistic journey, influences, and the state of contemporary art.
Gibson's landmark Venice installation has now traveled to Los Angeles for "Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me," his first solo museum exhibition in Southern California, currently on view at The Broad through September 28th. The show features his signature works including beaded punching bags, sequined mannequins in jingle dresses, and shimmering text-based pieces that address injustices embedded in American history.
During their conversation, conducted while Gibson was in the forests of Long Island and Lamy at Venice's Lido, the artist revealed his diverse influences ranging from French philosopher Gilles Deleuze to rave culture and Chicago house music. "I am very Deleuzian," Gibson told Lamy, explaining how French philosophy provides a framework that American audiences often struggle to connect with his Indigenous identity. "If I mentioned that in the U.S. they're like, 'What does French philosophy have to do with being Native American?' In France, they were like, 'Fantastic.'"
Gibson's artistic development was shaped by his international upbringing, having grown up in Germany and Korea before studying in London. It was in London during the 1990s that he encountered transformative influences, including the work of performance artist Leigh Bowery and the city's thriving rave scene. "Everybody in London at the time saw me as a Black person. There was no Native American community in London, so my time there was pretty incredible," Gibson reflected.
The artist's iconic punching bag sculptures originated from a therapeutic recommendation. His therapist suggested boxing to help process anger related to homophobia, racism, and classism in the art world. The breakthrough came when Gibson realized that if the punching bag was beautifully decorated with beadwork and traditional elements, he wouldn't want to hit it. "There's something about visual self-respect that diffuses anger for me, especially with Native people when it comes to regalia," he explained.
Gibson's work deliberately bridges multiple cultural influences, drawing from his Cherokee and Choctaw heritage while incorporating elements from Korean culture, electronic music, and contemporary art movements. He cited Black American artists from the 1960s and 70s like Sam Gilliam, Ed Clark, and David Hammons as major influences for their commitment to experimentation and abstraction while maintaining individualism.
The conversation also touched on Gibson's upcoming exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in September, where he will display four new bronze sculptures on the building's facade. These works represent a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and digital technology, with some elements created entirely through CGI and digital sculpting processes that randomize beadwork patterns.
Both artists discussed the challenging current global situation, with Lamy noting, "The news is all messed up, and we need a shaman to show us the way." Gibson responded by sharing how he consulted with AIDS crisis activists AA Bronson and Avram Finkelstein during COVID-19 lockdowns to understand how artists continue creating during times of crisis.
Regarding artificial intelligence and its impact on art, Gibson expressed both caution and pragmatism. While he sees AI as a potentially dangerous weapon due to its believability, he plans to use it as a tool while maintaining focus on analog, artisanal craft. "I'm one of the last generations who was born into analog culture," he said. "Going into this crazy digital era, I feel like the simplicity of making artisanal craft is even more valuable."
The conversation concluded with a discussion about the color black, which both artists use extensively in their work. Gibson praised Lamy and her partner Rick Owens for seeing black not as emptiness but as "a rich space full of infinite possibility," contrasting this with traditional associations of darkness and sadness. This philosophy reflects Gibson's broader artistic approach of finding possibility and beauty in spaces that others might overlook or misunderstand.
