WHITE CUBE

WHITE CUBE BRECHT VANDENBROUCKE

With few words and gorgeous style, a cartoonist takes aim at the hypocrisies of the art world White Cube is the Belgian cartoonist and illustrator Brecht Vandenbroucke’s debut book, a collection of mostly wordless strips that follow a pair of pink-faced twins as they attempt to understand contemporary art and the gallery world. Their reactions to the art they encounter are frequently comedic, as they paint over Pablo Picasso’s famous mural Guernica, and re-create a pixelated version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream after receiving one too many e-mails. Lushly painted, these irreverent strips poke fun at the staid, often smug art world, offering an absurdist view on the institutions of that world—questioning what constitutes art and what doesn’t, as well as how we decide what goes on the walls of the gallery and what doesn’t. Vandenbroucke’s distinctive work blends the highbrow with the low, drawing equally from Gordon Matta-Clark’s site-specific artwork and the Three Stooges’ slapstick timing. With a knowing wink at the reader, Vandenbroucke continuously uncovers something to laugh about in the stuffiness and pretentiousness of the art world.

BRECHT VANDENBROUCKE

Brecht Vandenbroucke is a Belgian cartoonist and illustrator. Since graduating from art school a few years ago, he has worked for numerous periodicals, including The New York Times, and has participated in group shows all over the world. His first solo exhibition took place in February 2013.