Albert Oehlen

Albert Oehlen

Del ahorro, 2008
Oil and paper on canvas
106 1/4 x 122 inches

In this new group of works, Oehlen paints over, under and around Spanish advertisement posters. The original commercial content of the posters is undermined by Oehlen's reworking of those images as well as his juxtaposition of unrelated advertisements. His interest lies not in the manipulation of pop iconography, but rather in the unnerving emotional effects generated by its obtrusive presence. In contrast with previous work, the use of paint has been reduced, giving focus to the center of the composition and emphasizing the subtle interactions between the paint and the posters. These highly charged paintings eschew formal convention and ultimately advance the medium's function through the artist's continued practice of the deliberate negation of imagery.

Excerpt from the Luhring Augustine Exhibition, APR 25 - MAY 30, 2009

Albert Oehlen
Untitled, 2008
mixed media on paper
11.75" x 8.25"

Albert Oehlen is also exhibiting with Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago, May 14 - June 27, 2009