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Press Release
Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects is pleased to present new paintings by Robert Olsen. In this new series of small paintings Olsen expands his exploration of forlorn urban night scenes by introducing the human figure into a context of common fixtures such as bus shelters, street lights, and traffic curbs.
“I see my subjects every night bathed in the unnatural lights of mercury, sodium, neon, and fluorescent. Nighttime allows me to isolate the subject while retaining a believable space without the clutter of a specific place. The transit shelters and window display mannequins I paint are familiar but transitory in memory – the commonplace objects of the modern world. They are public spaces that resist and deny social interaction.” Robert Olsen 2005
Robert Olsen received his MFA in 2002 at the University of California, Los Angeles. His work has been shown in exhibitions at the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs; at the Harris Art Gallery at the University of La Verne, La Verne, at the ArtForum Berlin, Germany, at the Plane Space Gallery in New York; at the Luckman Fine Art Complex, California State University Los Angeles, and at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.
Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects is located at 5795 West Washington Blvd in Culver City, between Fairfax and La Cienega, within walking distance of the Blum & Poe Gallery. Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 – 6 pm and by appointment. Directions: Coming from downtown, take the 10 frwy west, exit at the Washington / Fairfax exit, turn left, it’s the second building on your right. 10 frwy coming from the west side, take the La Cienega exit, go south to Washington Blvd, turn left, the building is in the 3rd block on your left, next to the Dunn Edwards store.