Olivier Schildt

Olivier Schildt is fascinated with pattern, or more precisely the mechanical qualities of the geometric and mechanical repeated pattern. The medium (in this case giclée printing) is less important than the patterns themselves, he chooses rather to play with the pattern as the medium. This allows the exploration of how patterns can create and simultaneously camouflage the artwork. This flowing into and out of abstraction and the tension that is created between these two states are further themes expressed here. For example the works push you away so as to better grasp what is being represented. But, in so doing distance from the artworks pulls you back to study the details - ‘the how’. You are never allowed to find that perfect distance to view these pieces — they remain elusive in their entirety.

Authorship is also investigated in Olivier here. For example he uses famous, not so famous and his own artworks to create these pieces. Thus the line ‘thickness’ between authenticity, appropriation, remix, copyright, artistic liberty are all explored here. There is no doubt that creating something new from something that already exists… is what is explored - or pulled down - here.

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