Joshua Liner Gallery is thrilled to announce Wayne White’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery, I DON’T KNOW. The Los Angeles based artist will present new text-based paintings that feature hand painted backgrounds, as well as laser cut word reliefs, and an oversized kinetic puppet. I DON’T KNOW will open on January 9 and remain on view through February 8, 2020. 

I DON’T KNOW showcases White’s recent word paintings, which mark a new direction for this beloved series. As framed vintage lithographs get more difficult to source, White is starting to adapt his practice to accommodate this shortage by making word paintings entirely by hand. Creating his own backgrounds allows White to explore specific subjects and gives him total control with how the text and background interact with one another. In 2019, the artist started creating acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas cloudscapes reminiscent of John Constable and Maxfield Parrish, adding text overtop ethereal sunsets. These canvases continue to reflect White’s sardonic wit, while simultaneously revealing his vulnerable side, evident in his conscious decision to adorn the hand painted backgrounds of sunsets with text that reads “Finally Got There Wasn’t So Great” and “I DON’T KNOW,” adding a particularly somber tone to the exhibition.

Continuing with the sky theme, I DON’T KNOW also includes a ten-foot long cardboard effigy of White suspended from the ceiling of the back gallery. This larger than life puppet flaps his arms, as if he is flying through the air.