Mark Thomas Gibson: Reference monograph (title TK)

Mark Thomas Gibson (b. 1980, Miami; lives in Philadelphia) is an artist whose work draws on his passion for art, comics, and political history, alongside his expertise in printmaking and painting. His multifaceted perspective as an artist, professor, curator, and history enthusiast shapes his lens on American culture, particularly its tendency to mythologize itself.

Gibson explores contemporary culture through painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture, revisiting pivotal moments in American history while implicating viewers as potential participants in the unfolding narrative. As he explains, “I am constantly reminded in every news cycle that we are entwined in a history of unfinished stories and plot points.” With a deep desire to uncover what lies beneath the surface, both in his artistic process and subject matter, Gibson reinterprets the traditions of History Painting and caricature in the 21st century, from Honoré Daumier, John Singleton Copley, Jacob Lawrence, Philip Guston, and Leon Golub, to Manifest Destiny and the Biden era. “The artwork must act as a Trojan horse. It’s the only way I know to get toward something deeper. It’s basic magic, sleight of hand—giving one thing while preparing to show another,” he notes.

This first reference monograph spans the artist’s work from 2013 to the present and is published to accompany Gibson’s exhibition Overture at the Berman Museum of Art (Collegeville, PA, January 23–April 6, 2025). It brings together contributions by Dan Nadel, Curator at Large at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Los Angeles, CA), offering an overview on the artist’s work; fellow Miami-born artist Didier William writing on the artist’s biography; artist Rochelle Feinstein examining Gibson’s emblematic Town Crier series (since 2021); and an interview with Lauren McCardel, Executive Director of the Berman Museum of Art.

Edited by:

• Clément Dirié

• Elisa Nadel

Contributing authors:

• Lauren McCardel
• Dan Nadel
• Rochelle Feinstein
• Didier William

About the artist

Mark Thomas Gibson received his BFA from The Cooper Union in 2002 and his MFA from Yale School of Art in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Head of Painting at Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, Philadelphia. Recent solo exhibitions include Here Ye, Hear Ye!!!, Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University, Princeton (2022); Whirlygig!, Sikkema & Jenkins Co., New York; and A Retelling, MOCAD, Detroit (both 2023). His work was included in Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America, African American Museum in Philadelphia (2023). In 2016, Gibson co-curated, with artist William Villalongo, the exhibition Black Pulp! at 32 Edgewood Gallery, Yale School of Art, which examined evolving perspectives of Black identity in American culture and history from 1912 to 2016 through printed media and artworks. In 2022, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship from the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York. In 2024 he was a MacDowell Fellow.

About the exhibition

Overture showcases new works by Philadelphia-based artist Mark Thomas Gibson. Running from January 23 through April 6, 2025, Overture offers a powerful invitation to reflect on current events and reimagine how we can collectively drive systemic change in pursuit of the common good.

The exhibition opens with a selection from Gibson’s Town Crier series, an archive of collages that feature a fictional character who recounts current events happening on the national and global political stage. Inside the Berman’s main gallery, visitors will encounter an immersive, multi-sensory experience featuring five large-scale paintings and Gibson’s first hand-drawn animated film, accompanied by an original score. These new works capture the unsettling urgency of a shifting political landscape, evoking emotions and responsibilities both individual and civic.

Gibson’s work examines complex narratives surrounding race, identity, power, and cultural representation through a distinctive visual language that challenges traditional perspectives on U.S. history and current events. A self-described American history painter, Gibson draws from a dynamic blend of influences—from the storytelling of Kerry James Marshall and the subversion of Philip Guston to the satirical edge of pioneering political cartoonists Thomas Nast and John Singleton Copley—fusing elements of graphic novel illustration, Surrealism, and Symbolism. The result is a visually striking body of work that challenges viewers to probe beyond the surface to grapple with the layered complexities of power, identity, and protest in the United States.

Overture not only showcases Gibson’s striking aesthetic and technical skill across mediums, but also highlights his commitment to amplifying discussions on historical memory, collective trauma, and the ongoing pursuit of justice and equality. The exhibition’s visual, sonic, and kinetic choreography serves as a provocation to look, feel, think, and act, inspiring us to consider our role in shaping a better, fairer, more inclusive society.

“This exhibition is especially relevant as we enter 2025, offering a profound lens through which to examine the complexities and challenges facing our nation and the world,” says Berman Executive Director Lauren McCardel. “Gibson’s bold visual narratives challenge us to confront the enduring legacies of systemic inequity and the collective anxieties of our time, sparking critical dialogue and personal reflection that are essential for meaningful progress. His ability to weave thought-provoking storytelling into visually compelling compositions opens new perspectives on narratives of both American art and U.S. history, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own responsibility as citizens in a democracy’s unfinished work of fulfilling its founding ideals for all.”