American Tan XXVI has been published to coincide with Hume's major solo show at White Cube, London. This extensive body of new work is ostensibly a celebration of the pop-perverse phenomenon of American cheerleading, and is an alluring appropriation of the uniforms, poses, and razzmatazz paraphernalia, including the ever popular accoutrement of American tan tights. Hume has said himself of this work that it is his 'response to America and how we're all being tanned by American policy and culture, the war and simple, complicated stuff like that. It started off with cheerleaders. The form of them is absolutely fantastic. They're athletic. They're super-gymnasts.'
