Raps On Silk (2018)
Spray paint on silk banner, 53 x 199 inches (134.6 x 505.4 cm)
Image courtesy the artist
Making the work in London, the silk banner was used for a series of shows in which Shirt opened up for the rock singer Jack White through Europe. It was displayed on stage during Shirt’s performance. The text “Run up in this gallery with the mask on” is a lyric from Shirt’s song Snowbeach (2017) which served as the intro for Pure Beauty (2018).
The work debuted for the first time in exhibition in the group show Island Letter at CC Projects gallery in New York June 14-July 9, 2023. More information on the show can be found here. A description of the work in the exhibition guide read as follows:
Raps On Silk is a large banner sprayed with the words “Run up in this gallery with the mask on.” Like many of Shirt’s text works and lyrics, the phrase is crafted with idiomatic potential. This particular line was first written and recorded in the 2017 song "Snowbeach" and then produced as a backdrop for a series of live shows the following year. As a set piece, the banner has the flexibility to be hung in a myriad of ways, adapting to local conditions. Written before the ubiquity of masks caused by Covid-19 and worsening air conditions, the phrase takes on new meaning in this time and gallery space.
More photos available upon request
Spray paint on silk banner, 53 x 199 inches (134.6 x 505.4 cm)
Image courtesy the artist
Making the work in London, the silk banner was used for a series of shows in which Shirt opened up for the rock singer Jack White through Europe. It was displayed on stage during Shirt’s performance. The text “Run up in this gallery with the mask on” is a lyric from Shirt’s song Snowbeach (2017) which served as the intro for Pure Beauty (2018).
The work debuted for the first time in exhibition in the group show Island Letter at CC Projects gallery in New York June 14-July 9, 2023. More information on the show can be found here. A description of the work in the exhibition guide read as follows:
Raps On Silk is a large banner sprayed with the words “Run up in this gallery with the mask on.” Like many of Shirt’s text works and lyrics, the phrase is crafted with idiomatic potential. This particular line was first written and recorded in the 2017 song "Snowbeach" and then produced as a backdrop for a series of live shows the following year. As a set piece, the banner has the flexibility to be hung in a myriad of ways, adapting to local conditions. Written before the ubiquity of masks caused by Covid-19 and worsening air conditions, the phrase takes on new meaning in this time and gallery space.
More photos available upon request