Joseph Yaeger’s Gesso Experiments Reach New Heights

The brilliant Joseph Yaeger is back in London with his latest solo exhibition, Silent Treatment (20 September–21 October 2023) at Project Native Informant in Bethnal Green, East London.

Since his last show in the capital, Time Weft at The Perimeter earlier this year, it seems Yaeger has taken his gesso experimentation to new heights.

While a number of works bear large circular patterns where Yaeger has worked the gesso round in a motion that almost mimics crop circles, in others, the gesso has been applied with such density that it begins to camouflage the subject itself.

A small work in the corner of the gallery titled Legacy is a dead end (2023) features a cropped profile shot of a man in a cowboy hat. Dimly lit, casting a shadow across his eyes, the identity of the man is further disguised by the thick paint-splat of gesso applied across the man’s face.

Move your gaze a few inches up and you’re met with a smoother surface, broken up by the odd bump, hair or crevice that is preserved by the thin wash of watercolour across the canvas.

While only six were on display in the gallery (and one hidden in the office), Project Native Informant’s owner Stephan Tanbin Sastrawidjaja has a number more kept behind for the show to cater to incredible demand that this superstar artist continues to fetch.

Read our interview with the artist on Ocula here.

Main image: Joseph Yaeger, Silent treatment (2023). Watercolour on gessoed linen. 180 x 150 x 4 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Project Native Informant, London.