Jack White's new chapter from rock star to visual artist

Jack White, the leader of the band The White Stripes, is forging a new career: as a visual artist. The first public exhibition of his work has opened at Damien Hirst's famous London gallery, Newport Street Gallery.

A large resin sculpture of a blue skull enclosed in a cocoon. The image is very pop art in style. And it's a theme often explored by Newport Street gallery owner Damien Hirst. 

But this exhibition is not typical of the British art scene. Some musical patterns give a slight hint at the artist's identity.

The exhibition, titled “These Thoughts May Disappear,” is by Jack White. The White Stripes frontman has been creating art for decades, but this is the first time his work has been on public display.

"It's really remarkable, because some of these works have been sitting in my garage and attic for 30 years, never having seen them displayed on a wall with beautiful lighting. It gives them a whole new perspective and makes me appreciate them more. It's even pushing me to create a different lighting scheme in my home studio," White said.

The artist achieved international fame as a member of the rock duo, "The White Stripes", who became one of the most important groups of the 2000s, releasing successful albums such as "Elephant", which achieved very high sales, winning "Grammy" awards and being inducted into the "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" last year.

Therefore, going public with another form of creativity is a challenging moment for American musician and artist, White.

"Anything you become known for first in the general public is kind of a curse, because everyone wants you to do only that work for the rest of your life. That's why I hesitated for decades to share this work in an exhibition, but finally I decided to do it."

The artist relies on his skills in carpentry and upholstery, which he developed while working as an upholsterer, before becoming famous.

He uses materials such as resin, paint, and recycled objects to create his artwork.

"I limit myself to a color palette. I often try to work with just three colors. I usually use found objects – on the side of the road or in trash cans – taking something that has been thrown away or is about to be thrown away and trying to give it new life and make it beautiful. I think I learned that from my work with upholstery and furniture restoration when I was young," White said.

At the center of the exhibition is a giant tree made of resin. It was a collaborative project with dozens of people from around the world. And it is his favorite work in the exhibition, perhaps because the inspiration came from everyday life.

"A tree in my yard in Nashville died and all its leaves fell off. I decided to paint it red and turn it into a sculpture, a kind of living sculpture. But then it started to die again and slowly fall apart. The moisture was trapped under the paint, so the branches started to fall off. I think it was Connor Hirst who suggested to me: why not recreate the tree with resin? I was very excited by this idea," White said.

Connor Hirst is the co-curator of this exhibition and the son of Damien Hirst, with whom White has collaborated on several works of art. They met when the musician's record label opened an office in London, next to Hirst's studio. Some of their joint projects are on display for British audiences.

But has this rock star successfully made the transition to the world of visual art?

"I think most people know Jack White as a member of 'The White Stripes' and now he's moving from music to the visual arts. He still seems to be finding his place in that field. Of course, he has the advantage of knowing Damien Hirst personally and has a high public profile, which gives him the opportunity to present in such a grand gallery like this, unlike most young artists," said art critic Tabish Khan.

The exhibition "Jack White: These Thoughts May Disappear" is open at the Newport Street Gallery until September 13.