[image]
[title]Rosie Gibbens puts her body on the line in humorous, scathing, surreal attacks on gender roles and femininity. In performances, films and sculptures, she manipulates symbols of domesticity to show how absurd the whole charade is. She gives blowies to a wodge of toothbrushes, twirls nipple tassels with a desk fan, dances seductively with ducks and office equipment, and makes blobby, soft sculptures out of her own body parts. Her art is a bunch of brilliant, visceral, clever, satirical visual gags, and the joke is on us.
What would you say your art is about?
’It’s my way of digesting the world around me. I highlight absurdities that I observe in society, making them stranger in my artwork through exaggeration or purposeful misinterpretation. These observations are often based around gender performativity, sexual politics, consumer desire and the slippery overlaps between these. My body always features in some way, usually alongside adapted everyday objects and I often approach my work as perverse product demonstrations. This is because I’m interested in the ways that identity is formed through desire for commodities, particularly as tools that (often falsely) promise to enhance our bodies or optimise our lives. I hope that my work can hold the magic balance between entertaining and unsettling.‘
What inspires you?
’Some things that I am inspired by are: pointless inventions, make-up tutorials, cartoon bodies, exercise equipment, domestic gizmos, anatomical figures, 80s body horror, life hacks, perfume adverts and teleshopping. I’m also interested in depictions of stereotypical femininity in art and culture over time: from Venus figures and femme fatales to fetishised horror film characters and the women in yoghurt adverts. I hope to unpack and skew readings of these archetypes.‘
What are the challenges of being an artist in London?
’Getting paid! And protecting yourself from the pull towards cynicism.’
What one thing could be done to better support young artists in London?
‘I think that mentorship for young artists with artists further on in their careers or people who work in the creative industries is really valuable and could be better financially supported by the big galleries and institutions. The London ‘art world’ works in quite idiosyncratic ways and getting advice on how to navigate it is helpful. A few initiatives that I found useful after graduating were the Artsadmin creative support sessions, Eastside Projects 1-2-1s, the Barbican Young Visual Arts Group and Bow Arts skills sessions. Also obviously cheaper rent! (sorry, that’s two).’
What would you do with the Turbine Hall?
‘I’ve always been intrigued by the public performance of using an outdoor park gym so I think I would make a huge one in the gallery with my own adapted “exercise” equipment. Using the machines would trigger chain reactions in the space, activating puppets hung from the roof to perform as my avatars. Maybe there could also be abnormal exercise classes run by artists!’
Paul Luckcraft, Senior Curator at the Zabludowicz Collection, says:
‘Drawn to the absurd aspects of our contemporary culture, saturated as it is with cuteness, horror, sex and self-improvement, Gibbens pushes the envelope of taste and decency, but always with a generous wink to those that might be watching.’
This interview is part of Time Out's The Future of London Art series. Read more here.