Luis Gispert

Luis Gispert’s sculptures and photographs depict a “hip-hop baroque” aesthetic and a subject matter that touches upon themes of American youth culture, class and values, and status-driven subcultures. In his photographic series decepción, Gispert’s subjects are decked out in homemade faux-designer wear, and interiors of low-rider vehicles are upholstered in knock-off designer-logo fabrics like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The perspective is from the backseat, peering into the front of the car and out over the windshield, revealing epic landscapes like frozen Lake Michigan and the Grand Tetons. Other photographs depict subjects like cheerleaders in uniforms adorned with bling adopting surreal or theatrical poses, and audio equipment—stereos, boom boxes, and turntables—in unassuming locations such as a church or alongside a young boy floating in a small swimming pool. In his sculptural work, Gispert is minimal yet retains his signature cultural themes by contrasting unusable household furniture and construction items with objects like automobile parts and basketballs.

Gispert has had exhibitions at institutions such as the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, the Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, and MoMA PS1, among others.