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Posts tagged Oliver Warden

Featured Artist: Oliver Warden

by Amanda Schmitt on October 24th, 2011

Oliver Warden, Untitled Box 2.0, 1993-2011. Photo credit: Josephine Phong, 2011.

A young woman rounds the corner and catches a glimpse of her reflection in a full-length mirrored box. Attracted to this, she stops to make sure her bangs are okay, and notices that the mirror also has a switch, at perfect doorbell height. Curious, she flips the switch, only to immediately jump back, letting out a half scream, half laugh. She might be going crazy, she thinks, but she swears she just saw her reflection change into that of a man’s.  Intrigued, she presses the switch a second time, and registers the flashing image of him again. Sure enough, inside the two-way mirror is a man, about 6’, standing at the ready, in a grey suit with a black tie. He has the appearance of James Bond, but the moxy of Elvis Presley vis-à-vis Andy Warhol’s prints. This man also has an identically placed switch on his side of the mirror. While the young woman can turn on the light, revealing the man, he has the power to turn the light off. The young woman giggles, fascinated by her power, yet she still feels the need to touch the switch again, and sees the opportunity to compete; a game ensues. She continuously turns on the light, as fast as she can, trying to reveal the man, to find out who he is, and what he looks like. He is calm and quick to the switch; she is relentless. She giggles more and more, and he remains stone cold 007, intensely staring into her eyes. You can see he is sweating, somewhat annoyed yet maintaining his authority, which fuels this woman’s sadistic tendencies even more. Who will win? Continue Reading More »

The Dog Days of Chelsea

by Howard Hurst on August 6th, 2010

Lola

When it comes to the summer season, New York has a lot to offer. From the infamous dumpster pools to free concerts in the park, those of us who can’t afford to escape to the Hamptons have our choice of activities. Unfortunately, when it comes to the art world, the dog days get a bad rap. August is often referred to as “off season.” It’s true that those looking for flashy blockbusters will likely be disappointed, however one key element is often overlooked – the group show.

The Annual Summer Invitational at Jonathan Levine, which opened Wednesday night, is an excellent example of why I love the slower pace of the art world in the summer.  The gallery is chiefly known for its street art meets gallery, low brow, counter-culture influenced aesthetic–one which is not necessarily my own. With past shows by Shepard Fairey, Blek le Rat, Jeff Soto, and Invader, I have come to expect something very specific when I enter the doors of the Levine gallery.

Evol

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