Over the course of almost two decades, Rico Gatson has become celebrated for his confrontational and politically opinionated artworks, often based on significant moments in black history. Images of riots, fires, and confinement pervade his works, which have touched on a range of subjects like the Watts Riots, the presidential election of Barack Obama, and the formation of the Black Panthers. As Gatson once said: “I’m always interested in seducing the viewer and then hitting them on the way out, allowing a delayed response to powerfully charged content.” Even though he uses painting, video, sculpture and installation, Gatson prefers not to be defined by any single medium, rather thinking of himself as an object maker inspired by Conceptualism and Performance Art.