Tony Oursler: 1997-2007

By Lynne Cooke, Tony Oursler
Published by JRP|Ringier
Apr. 1, 2008

New York-based artist Tony Oursler says of his drawings, "Each object I touch has a text. Like it or not, I hear it, I see it. Each touch throws me hopelessly out of my time, out of my mind. In this fractured psychological state, I'm amazed that this fragile scribbling on paper survived." While his position as a forerunner in video art is well established, Oursler's two-dimensional works have always been an essential part of his creative process as well. He describes these works on paper as a series of perceptions, scenes, delusions and diagrams--a free association of ideas that inform his video work. Oursler uses drawing, painting and collage as a diary--a means of remembering, associating or layering thoughts. The studies, sketches and paintings explore the supernatural, methods of mass communication, the history and development of media technology and their effect on the human psyche. This publication offers a chronology of Oursler's two-dimensional work over the past 10 years, showcasing his early works on canvas, painting on sculpture, painting with collage and his videos that are projected onto painted panels. It is published in conjunction with Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York.