Joan Waltemath reviews an exhibition of new work by Jeffrey Gibson at Marc Strauss Gallery, New York, on view through December 23, 2012.

Waltemath writes: "The generous yet restrained surfaces of his reflective acrylic paintings are framed with a glimpse into the deep and sonorous smooth matte of an animal hide. The pairing appears so perfectly attenuated that it is impossible to separate them, therefore impossible to bring a politically correct fur coat-animal cruelty discourse to them. In the hands of this artist another, deeper character emerges, something beyond the reach of contemporary issues. Yet Gibson’s work is also firmly tied to cultural politics. As a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and half Cherokee, the artist draws on his heritage of Native American iconography for his work, which also takes equally from the history of modernism."