White cube

by Brecht Vandenbroucke

White Cube

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor, Fiction, Comix

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Nate D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely bratty gag-comic critique of the modern art world. It's occasionally (intentionally) dumb, occasionally engages in great visual play, mostly pretty brisk and amusing, but I'm not convinced it has anything to say about the state of art right beyond the obvious. I would probably stamp a big facebook LIKE thumbs-up (the unifying gesture of the characters here, somehow the funniest running thread) on the cover, though. Also worth noting that only Marina Abramovich comes through this unscathed.

[Joe Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had completely missed this early 2014 release and was glad I spied it on the coldest night of the year when no one (wisely) attended a workshop I was hosting at Ross-Barnum Library. These faux-primitive 1- and 2-page cartoons concern two guys coming to terms with, or sometimes cleverly modifying, even hilariously destroying, the modern art they encounter at the White Cube, a typical modernist gallery. Very witty, even conceptual gags about the art, but also about social media. The pair are seen running from the security guard after painting a Facebook-style thumb's up 'Like' sign on a critically-approved White Cube acquisition.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

grappige kunstmopjes hihihaha

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 (magasin)

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first book by Belgian Brecht Vandenbroucke about the art world, equal parts skewering the pretensions of that world and, through two guys who speak through action instead of words, people who have no use for modern art, who see it as a joke. Also equal parts silly and sophisticated, in terms of both ideas and the nature of the art itself, which veers from childish to revealing he understands very well what artists set out to accomplish.

[Asher Klassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint of art.

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll have to give this one another read soon. It started off hilarious, if a bit mean spirited. The second half was a bit dull. I guess it just keeps hammering home the same points about modern art. Or rather, the rift between low and high art.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very meta po-mo. Wishy washy duo nails on who curates and gets canonized in contemporary art galleries. Colours are paint-by-number like fun. A genuinely comical read. Dash Shaw crossover tumblr meets performative storyboarding.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play with perspective. Very twisted.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick "fun" read. A nice satire on the art world. It helps to know the artists that are being played off but you should be able to find something that you enjoy.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

White Cube is a collection of gag strips from Belgian cartoonist Brecht Vandenbroucke. The premise of these 1-2 page long strips is that a pair of pink-faced twins attempt to contextualize modern and contemporary artwork in the White Cube Museum. The pair are simple and unpretentious in their tastes, which makes their reactions to a lot of the art pieces rather funny. Stated as a jab at some of the hypocrisies in the art world, Vandenbroucke is clearly having fun satirizing the culture around art consumption. His style is very expressionistic and leans into the use of vibrant colors, all which service the strip well. The humor is somewhat juvenile and slapstick, perhaps even a little reminiscent of Herr Seele's and Kamagurka's Cowboy Henk strip. The lush illustrations are really what make these strips worth soaking in, but I'm sure those more familiar with the world of modern art might take in more of the actual satire.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure how to feel about White Cube. I was definitely amused throughout the collection, though I don't know if I was able to fully grasp the concepts behind some of the art. A handful of the comics had me actually giggling out loud, while others were cool to look at but were kind of confusing. I'm not huge into art history but I do casually enjoy art from time to time, so I think maybe some of the deeper meanings went over my head a bit. Overall though, I still enjoyed the art style and had a decent time flipping through this little book.

[Brian O'Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scathing criticism of modern art/fashion delivered through hilarious (and occasionally disturbing) shorts. Excellent stuff.

[Edward Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art references in this were neato!

[stercz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, inventive and witty, although some stories have slightly disturbing, destructive energy that's a bit too much in line with reactionary, "incorrect" kind of humour.

[Sterre Kranenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zo leuk geassocieerd met beeld!!

[Cat]

A collection of short comic strips making comments on the art world. Very little text, but you get the message through the visuals

[Nuno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visual gags mixed with well known pieces of art. Brecht's art is fun, original, and the palette of colors is very uplifting. The gags themselves are mostly good, a bit little Joan Cornella.

[Juhani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hieman erilaista sarjakuvaa Belgiasta. Kirjan kaksi päähenkilöä arvioivat näkemäänsä taidetta teoillaan. Viittauksia löytyy moniin tunnettuihin taideteoksiin sekä nykytaiteeseen. Jokunen tarinoista saa nauramaankin, mutta osa taas jää pikkunätin puujalkavitsin tasolle.

[Alberto Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maravilloso, divertido, genial

[Kim]

Hughly amusing comics.

[pizza aggressive · Rating 5 out of 5]

ART