Jack White’s Eccentric Art Debut at Damien Hirst’s London Gallery

Jack White, the 50-year-old musician known for The White Stripes, has opened his first major art exhibition, “These Thoughts May Disappear,” at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London, on view through September 13. The show features over 100 sculptures, paintings, photographs, and furniture pieces spanning from 1996 to new works, including a series of pallets satirizing the Pallet Clean Corporation and a hyperreal red tree sculpture. White describes his style as “Hardware Store Art,” using found objects and techniques like welding and embroidery. The exhibition emerged from a 2021 meeting with Hirst, who encouraged White to pursue art. Highlights include the Warrior Chair, which releases scents when sat on, and statuettes based on a 1940s “Ukulele Joe” figurine. White’s works incorporate references to his music career, such as the White Stripes’ red-white-black palette and Third Man Records’ yellow. The show includes rare archival pieces like Hypnotize Children (1996) and a series of turtles made from painted pine. White cites Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Salvador Dalí as influences, and notes that humor does not cheapen artistry. The exhibition is housed in Hirst’s vast gallery space, which previously hosted the artist’s own collections.