Immediacy, intimacy and accessibility are cornerstones of the practice of the Los-Angeles-based artist Jan Gatewood, whose materially subversive work slyly delivers observations about subjects that include social history, race, and personal identity via what he calls a “sugar in the medicine” approach. Gatewood muddles genre boundaries with his highly textured applications of multi-layered media, blending organic processes and substances with inorganic ones. He uses elements like bleach, lemon juice and Palo Santo ash in the production of his drawings, and the chemical reactions that ensue give each work a sense of activation. His use of paper challenges traditional ideas about longevity and value, elevating a material that offers a greater degree of urgency, and which details every mark made during the creative process. In an attempt to resist one-dimensional racial representation, Gatewood avoids direct self-portraiture in favour of using animal stand ins, often in the shape of rabbits. These avatars interact with a wide range of cultural references, drawn from popular and academic sources—from film and television to psychoanalysis—in the hope that these touchstones will offer the viewer a clearer path into connecting with his work.
b. 1994, Aurora, Colorado, USA
Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA
It's Very You, Kiang Malingue, Hong Kong
Group Relations, Rose Easton, London
Discrepancy Essence, Silke Lindner, New York
Tiptoe Hassle, Smart Objects, Los Angeles
Alas! Mocktales to Infinity, Smart Objects, Los Angeles
PEEL, Europa, New York
Group Shoe Two, Public Access, New York
Hot Concrete, K11 Musea / Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong
Salon, Amor Corp, Los Angeles
The Frog Show, organized by Reilly Davidson, Harkawik, New York
Hot Concrete, Sow & Tailor, Los Angeles
Best in Show, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York
Vivid, organised by Sonya Sombreuil as part of ‘Made in L.A. 2020’, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Hu, Harkawik, Los Angeles
Replica, Insect, Los Angeles
October Group Show, Pt 2, Los Angeles
Lavender Scented Palms, Pt 2, Los Angeles