The brilliant hues and minimalist geometry of Jeffrey Gibson’s design, titled The Only Way Out Is Through, showcase the overlap of Native artistry and twentieth-century art movements like Minimalism and Op-art. The inclusion of text harks to his stated desire to give image to words. His chosen phrase has links to such varied sources as the Bible, Shakespeare, and Winston Churchill. (The latter famously said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”) Says Gibson, “For me the works have always been political. I’m oftentimes referring to past events, past cultural and political social movements, that there’s still many questions surrounding how those things have unfolded. But there has been some level of resolve that I feel we can say is an achievement.”
