The White Stripes legend Jack White is finally exhibiting his artwork in London
More than two decades of work
Most people know Jack White as one of the most influential musicians of the past 25 years, but long before he was filling arenas with The White Stripes, he was learning upholstery in his native Detroit. Now, after decades of quietly developing a visual art practice alongside his music career, White is finally putting that work on public display.
A major new exhibition, These Thoughts May Disappear, has opened at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in south London, marking the first public exhibition of White’s artwork. Running until the 13th of September, the free show brings together sculptures, furniture pieces, installations and interactive works that reveal a side of the musician that many fans may never have seen before.
Born in Detroit in 1975 and now based in Nashville, White describes much of his work as “hardware store art”, drawing on carpentry, upholstery and found materials. His artistic influences range from Detroit’s Cass Corridor art movement to mid-century modern furniture design, as well as the Dada and De Stijl movements. That mix of influences can be seen throughout the exhibition, which features works built from everyday materials, tools and reclaimed objects transformed into striking sculptural pieces.
One of the centrepieces is a recreation of The Red Tree, a sculpture first conceived in 2015 that transforms a decaying tree into a bold artwork. Elsewhere, visitors will find furniture designs, assemblages and installations that reflect White’s long-running fascination with craftsmanship and making things by hand.
While White’s visual work has largely remained behind closed doors, design has always been a major part of his wider creative world. Through his record label, Third Man Records, he has developed everything from interiors and photography to product design and branding, building a distinctive aesthetic that has become almost as recognisable as his music.
The exhibition also highlights White’s long-standing connections to artists from Detroit, including collaborations with Cass Corridor figures Gordon Newton and Robert Sestok. For the London show, he has also worked alongside Damien Hirst and artists connected to the wider Third Man Records universe.
For fans of White, it offers a rare chance to see another side of one of modern music’s most inventive figures. For everyone else, it’s an opportunity to discover an artist making his public debut after spending more than 20 years refining his craft away from the spotlight.
Jack White: These Thoughts May Disappear runs at Newport Street Gallery until the 13th of September. Entry is free.
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