Now on view in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery
The Frist Art Museum is pleased to feature two interactive multimedia works by Caribbean artist David Gumbs in 2022. Each work will be on view for six months in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery located on the Frist’s Upper Level.
Originally from the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and based in the island of Martinique, David Gumbs is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist. He uses video, computer programming, graphic design, and other techniques and media to create his work. In this interactive video installation, the artist invites you to engage with his artwork by moving your body within the area in front of the screen.
Inner Garden
On view January–July 2022
As the title mentions, Inner Garden reflects on our inner gardens. Presenting a more contemplative design inspired by cinder blocks, cement textures, and tropical patterns, it echoes the contradiction between a Caribbean person’s vibrant daily life surrounded by constant architectural shifts and growth and the slow destruction of their island’s natural resources for profit. It speaks about Caribbean people’s resilience, hope, and search for inner peace.
Tropical Bliss
On view July–December 2022
Tropical Bliss is a playful video work inspired by tropical islands’ plants and animals under a surreal nighttime gaze. It depicts a landscape where the visitor’s body emerges in the form of spiritual butterflies. In some Caribbean cultures, the butterfly symbolizes inspiration, imagination, and the human spirit. After reworking the original version of Tropical Bliss, David Gumbs realized it reminds us how much we are part of nature and life’s cycle, although we tend to forget it.
