Untitled, 2004, oil and collage on canvas, 16" x 14" 
Untitled, 2005, oil on wood, 13" x 9" 
Untitled, 2005, oil on canvas, 15" x 12"
Untitled, 2008, oil and acrylic on canvas, 18" x 12" After experimenting with sound and sculpture, Olson started painting around 2004. Since then, he has been consistently working on these small-scale abstractions. While there is an obvious conceptual, even technical thread, the newer works are more refined and focused.
Last weekend, I stopped by for a second look at his current show at Taxter and Spengemann. After seeing the Thomas Nozkowski show (how many paintings can we cram into one space?), I was excited by the subtleties of these intimate works that don't try to do too much. Where Nozkowski's works are beginning to appear nostalgic, Olson's are less deliberate, understated, and ultimately personal. The show closes May 10.
Update: Roberta Smith on Olson in the NYT "Is Painting Small the Next Big Thing?"
Update: Roberta Smith on Olson in the NYT "Is Painting Small the Next Big Thing?"
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Funny that Roberta didn't mention the Tomma Abts show in that article---since it's kinda the epitome of small abstract painting shows in a museum context.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't she mention it? You mean it's funny that she didn't go into it? Have you seen it? I have not.
ReplyDeleteOops. Yeah, she does. Right at the beginning, along with Nozkowski & Siena. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw the Abts show. It's definitely a nice show--the work looks beautiful in there.
I guess it's most interesting to me that small abstract paintings seem to be made mostly by men right now. Us ladies are all working big (except for Abts & Moran). Part of me wonders if the guys are reacting to market expectations that the women don't feel affected by.
I'll probably catch hell for even posing that question.
ReplyDeleteThats no thing. Sounds like you were on Mrs. Smith's wavelength though...
ReplyDeleteThat could be. You mean the expectations are higher? Aren't there really an equal amount of big canvases by men? Another thing I liked about Olson's show is that after seeing the large-to-gratuitous scales of Eric Sall (which was great), Eddie Martinez, that Butzer dude, and others, it was nice to be able to enjoy a simple, carefully considered work. Sometimes the largeness is not really used to their advantage, especially in Butzer's case.
If she's saying that small is replacing the big, I'm not sure I understand why this is such a black and white thing...
Nah, that's not what she's saying--just that small-scale abstract is having a moment. Isn't it an exaggeration to call Eric Sall's paintings gratuitous in scale? They're easel size. There's a backlash toward big painting right now and I'm not having it. I don't think of small paintings as "more considered" than large ones--actually i think it's a mistake to equate intimate scale with emotional content.
ReplyDeleteNow come over here and say this shit to my face, Lutz. JK!
Hey Hey! Yes, it would be an exaggeration to call Sall’s work gratuitous in scale…he was supposed to represent the “large” in my “large-to-gratuitous” comment. I just mentioned him as a male making not-small works.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that I’m not backlashing against big paintings... I wrote “carefully considered” not “more considered”, talking about Olson’s work in particular, not small work as a whole.
At the same time, Roberta confuses the issue when she starts off talking about abstraction and then brings in an example like Michaela Eichwald, who isn’t doing abstract painting…isn’t it a completely different conversation if talking about scale in abstraction vs. scale in whatever you call that?
Oh, there are tons of dudes making big abstract paintings--just not that many women making little ones. Cheryl D's last show at Kamm comes to mind but not many others.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean in your last comment. I don't really even think Roberta was talking about anything except that little abstract paintings exist in a few shows right now. Seems like the context was created by Abts & Nozkowski and she just ran with it. I don't think anyone is making "abstract" paintings anymore, anyway. Is Olson abstracting things, or working intuitively?
I think it's fair to say that Olson's work is a bit of both. That's the impression that they give.
ReplyDeletelet's have a party.
ReplyDeleteeric sall must have a pretty big easel.
ReplyDeletethe biggest one is 65 x 51 inches. ok, maybe 4x5 is a little big for the average easel, but not really. my point is that they are not huge by any stretch of the imagination. now let's stop comparing easel size, gentlemen. or maybe this is why some men make little paintings?
ReplyDeletedubz has lost it.
ReplyDelete"Us ladies are all working big (except for Abts & Moran)".
ReplyDeleteyou're right, it should be "we ladies." sorry for the grammatical error. i was just trying to crack some funny jokes after you said eric must have a really big easel!
ReplyDeleteI just viewed one of Olson's paintings at White Flag Projects' "Impossible Vacation" exhibition in St. Louis, MO and really enjoyed it. I love the simplicity of the piece and the understated-ness of it. It's not trying to "prove" anything, or be witty or demanding or obnoxious or overblown. Just a joy of painting.
ReplyDeletePaul of St. Louis.