Why bingo?

I've always been inspired by Andy Warhol's use of ready-made, everyday items, and the grid framework of Gilbert & George's colorful photo collages.

In 2004, I wanted to learn Photoshop. My then-boyfriend and I were going to a Catholic bingo hall on Saturdays for a bit of fun, so I chose to recreate a simple bingo card as a way to start.

The first few cards were frivolous, then I started playing around with different 5-letter words. The idea was to convey a single thought, and explore the dual meanings of certain words.

The work came quickly, which allowed me to act without overthinking. Some focused on friends, music, and pop culture I was enjoying at the time, while others were deeply personal. I was making a picture book of my life.

Over time I realized I was trying to work out my own struggles in communicating. I'd often felt misunderstood, trying to get an idea across within the confines of how people interact with one another. It felt like an unsolvable puzzle to me.

If you take any single card on its own, it may not mean anything to you, but in my mind I was constructing a vocabulary. You can use that to create a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or to write your own book - something that has meaning for yourself.

The original run of cards stopped in 2006 after about 240 images. Now, in 2026, I'm restarting the dialogue with myself to see how I've changed. I'm not a bit surprised that the problems I was addressing then are still among of the things I grapple with today.

So, why bingo? Why not?

Jeb Boland

January 26, 2026

Other touchpoints: Robert Longo, Nayland Blake, Bill Pusztai, the videos and films of Anton Corbijn, and most importantly, the record sleeve designs of Peter Saville (Factory), Vaughan Oliver (4AD), and Malcolm Garrett (Assorted iMaGes).