Abstracting the Iconic American Cheerleader

Gary Hume (b. 1962) gained popularity for the way his art blended abstract formalism with everyday subjects, leading to his nomination for the Turner Prize in 1996 and his representing Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1999. Although known mostly for his paintings, the graphic quality of Hume’s work lends itself well to printmaking, which he has increasingly pursued since his election to the Royal Academy in 2001.

In 2007, Gary Hume had a solo show entitled ‘American Tan’. The exhibition combined a group of paintings and sculptures, all inspired by the iconic form of the American cheerleader. Hume went on to use a selection of these cheerleader motifs to form a portfolio of screenprints ‘The Sister Troop’.

In ‘The Sister Troop’ Hume used a collage process in which the prints are laid down on a brushed-aluminium card. After selecting the colours for each print, he marked the areas of each print where the metallic second-layer should be made visible, which were stamped out using cutting jigs. Prior to the stamping, glue was screenprinted on the back of the sheets and each covered with a release paper. Afterwards, this was removed, and each sheet was laminated by hand onto the aluminium card.

The dynamism of the cheerleaders contrasts sharply with the rigid shapes of the print, showcasing Hume’s use of abstracted forms and broad expanses of glossy colour, that hint at both the beauty and anxiety of the American dream. Against the shimmer of brushed metal, these iconic prints of the American cheerleader are technical triumphs and represent one of Hume’s most intricate print series to date.