Wayne White I Don’t Know

Wayne White’s fourth solo exhibition with Joshua Liner Gallery, I DON’T KNOW, featured a bold new direction in his iconic word paintings. Known for layering witty, often introspective text over found vintage landscapes, White began hand-painting his own backgrounds for this series, giving him full control over the interplay of image and language. The exhibition also included laser-cut text reliefs and a ten-foot kinetic self-portrait puppet, suspended mid-flight in the back gallery, adding a surreal and theatrical touch to the show.

Gallery wall with three framed landscape paintings of sunsets and clouds, and a corner with colorful artwork resembling abstract shapes, in a modern art gallery with white walls and concrete floor.

Three paintings of colorful skies are displayed on a white gallery wall.

An art gallery with four paintings on white walls and a large window; the paintings depict colorful skies and clouds, with one featuring a neon sign; there's a sign on the wall reading 'The Freak'.

Three colorful paintings hang on a white gallery wall, with cloudy sky themes and a central artwork with the words "CUSTER FUCK" in bold red letters against a cloud background.

An art installation featuring a large, hanging sculpture of a man with a beard, wearing a hat, with arms extended and holding cloud-shaped objects. The sculpture is suspended in a gallery with white walls and paintings of clouds on the walls.

Large art installation of a giant human face with outstretched arms made of paper and other materials, hanging from the ceiling of a white-walled art gallery. The face has blue eyes, a beard, a mustache, and is wearing a gray hat. Several cloud-theme

Born in 1957 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Wayne White lives and works in Los Angeles. He is widely recognized for his Emmy-winning production design on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, as well as music videos for Peter Gabriel and The Smashing Pumpkins. His multidisciplinary career was explored in the acclaimed documentary Beauty is Embarrassing and his TED Talk, You’re Supposed to Act All Impressed. White’s work is held in major public and private collections, including the New Museum, The Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

I DON'T KNOW, 2019, Oil on canvas,
24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm) — I DON'T KNOW, 2019, Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm)

FOMO, 2019, Oil on canvas,
24 x 30 inches (61 x 76.2 cm) — FOMO, 2019, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches (61 x 76.2 cm)

CLUSTERFUCK, 2019, Acrylic on canvas,
30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) — CLUSTERFUCK, 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm)

Duh, 2019, Oil on canvas,
24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm) — Duh, 2019, Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm)

ALL THAT FAKE LAUGHIN FOR
NOTHIN, 2019, Acrylic on canvas,
30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) — ALL THAT FAKE LAUGHIN FOR NOTHIN, 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm)

OVERCONFIDENT MEN ON
HORSEBACK, 2019, Oil on canvas,
30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) — OVERCONFIDENT MEN ON HORSEBACK, 2019, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm)