'I love the surface beauty of things, but I'm obsessed with the bilge that lies beneath. Like when you meet someone and assume who they are by the way they look, and then they surprise you by being the complete opposite. Listen, everyone is assigned a uniform; the trick is to steal a few others and keep them handy. I despise didactic "critically engaging" artwork. We're still recovering from the fallout of overt political and identity art from the late 80s and 90s. Look, shiny surfaces are designed to seduce and mesmerize. Audiences that get too distracted to scratch and see what's underneath, don't interest me.' Luis Gispert
In her recent interview with Luis Gispert for Your Gallery, Ana Finel Honigman described his work as presenting contemporary pop-culture in congress with art history: 'His photography, sculpture and films beautifully illuminate the class prejudices and racial stereotypes underpinning our cultural notions of beauty, vulgarity, sexuality and luxury. He highlights the historical heritage of hip-hop's fashion aesthetic - bringing out the Baroque and Byzantine in bling, the operatic ethos in gansta ethics and the Imperial high elegance of inch-long jewel-encrusted airbrushed acrylic nails.' For his 2005 exhibition at Metrotech in Brooklyn, Luis Gispert created a series of sculptures incorporating objects identified with hip-hop culture--turntables, chrome tire rims, gold jewellery, rhinestones, fake fur, and boom boxes--and turning them into semi-usable furniture designs.
Given the central position of music in his work, and in particular hip-hop culture, we asked Luis Gispert to tell us what kind of music he listens to in his studio.
"Recently I've had in rotation in the studio player:
National Braid My friend Brad Kahlhamer's band
Gang Gang Dance Good organized noise
Mike Ladd Makes DJ Spooky sound corny
Phoenecia Post Miami electro bass geniuses
The Clash "Sandinista" reissued version with extra dub tracks
Scientist "Rids The World Of The Evil..." King Tubby's prodigy
Mobb Deep Early stuff before 50 cent got involved
The Delfonics The original hooks that inspired the WuTang Clan
Nelson Ned This four foot tall Brazilian dwarf crooner make Julio Iglesias look like small potatoes."
LUIS GISPERT is one of the artists featured in 'USA Today' which opens at London's Royal Academy on 6 October.
Works by Luis Gispert:
Car Toes
Three Asian Cheerleaders
Still from Stereomongrel
Blaster
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