Optics / Side Effects
March 18th - April 18th, 2022
Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
In Optics / Side Effects, Oursler continues his exploration of the digital world of light and moving image and its connection to the plastic arts in a new series of works premiering at Baldwin Gallery. The gallery space is populated by miniature, highly detailed archetypal characters accompanied by a new series of lumina wall works. The six figurative sculptures were inspired by the artist’s memories and personal history as well as contemporary cultural phenomena relating to themes of magical thinking and the New Age movement. The characters associate echoes of the recent past such as outdoor free love festivals and 19th century technological developments, as well as current issues such as the possibilities of CRISPR-Cas9 biohacking and the cognitive dissonance of the flat-Earth movement.
These free-standing figures are juxtaposed with the new wall works, which the artist calls lumina. According to Oursler, “The lumina exist as a transitional plane between physical space and light as a means of exploring the current moment where people divide their time evenly between the virtual and real. The pieces are informed by the object’s loss of primacy and the possibilities of virtual coexistence.” In a reference to the transformation from physical to digital, the works incorporate acrylic pigment and transparent 3D models which function as lenses illuminated by light-emitting diodes, analyzing and distilling the rhythms, patterns and flow of digital imagery gleaned from thousands of hours of footage: newsfeeds, scientific data, nature documentaries, blockbuster entertainment and social media. They juxtapose schematically arranged objects such as circuit boards and remote controls, inspirational personal items, religious figures, crystals and other natural forms.
(The figurative sculptures relate to Oursler’s video projected “dolls,” referencing scarecrows and fertility figures, which were first exhibited in the early 90s. By contrast these new works are highly detailed, illuminated by computer screens distorted through hand-crafted lenses.)