In
Joel Gibb’s world, some of life’s darkest
moments are tenderized with a gentle touch. His felt banners, collages,
watercolors, videos, and of course songs, somehow manage to soften and
even celebrate death, disease, and doom. Emblematic and striking, images
of skulls, penis-daggers, and gravestones seem to arise from a song or,
as the artist describes the relationship between his works of art and
music: “words become shapes and shapes become melodies.” Conflating
Pop, Folk, and religious tradition with influences from General Idea to
Hugo Ball, Gibb’s cross-disciplinary oeuvre conveys notions about
politics, pleasure, mortality, and love.
Joel Gibb (b. 1977, Kincardine, ON, Canada) received a BAH from the University of Toronto; he currently lives and works in Toronto and Berlin. His work has been included in exhibitions and screenings at the Tate Modern, London; the Art Gallery of York University, Toronto; and Art Metropole, Toronto, among others. He is a member of the collaborative The Ensemble of Tops’N’Bottoms with Karen Azoulay and has collaborated on Gay Goth Scene with Paul P. In addition, he is the leader of the self-described “gay church folk” band The Hidden Cameras, which has nine releases to date on various record labels including Rough Trade, Arts & Crafts, Absolutely Kosher, as well as his own EvilEvil.
Exhibitions / Images:
Rise Up Thou Earth
More Information:
Resume [PDF]
Interview [PDF]
External Links:
The Hidden Cameras
Joel Gibb (b. 1977, Kincardine, ON, Canada) received a BAH from the University of Toronto; he currently lives and works in Toronto and Berlin. His work has been included in exhibitions and screenings at the Tate Modern, London; the Art Gallery of York University, Toronto; and Art Metropole, Toronto, among others. He is a member of the collaborative The Ensemble of Tops’N’Bottoms with Karen Azoulay and has collaborated on Gay Goth Scene with Paul P. In addition, he is the leader of the self-described “gay church folk” band The Hidden Cameras, which has nine releases to date on various record labels including Rough Trade, Arts & Crafts, Absolutely Kosher, as well as his own EvilEvil.
Exhibitions / Images:
Rise Up Thou Earth
More Information:
Resume [PDF]
Interview [PDF]
External Links:
The Hidden Cameras