Ollie Gee
Without a Red Carpet
June 16 - July 21, 2018
OPENING: Saturday, June 16, 7-10 PM
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ARTIST STATEMENT
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"In the midst of a nation run by a xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, racist, narcissistic, hateful, old, McDonald’s-eating troll who wishes he were a dictator, silence is unacceptable. We must resist what has becoming shockingly unsurprising.
"In the Trump era, racists and xenophobes have reared their ugly heads and shown their true colors. This miniature display comments on many of the atrocities that have occurred under Trump's “rule.” The mistreatment of migrant children, pedophiliacs coming forward proudly, the hemorrhaging of American money, the train wreck that is this administration, the constant lies, and the disappearance of his wife Melania. "As an artist, I believe it is my job to to create art that communicates my outrage at the current events that shame what the United States of America is supposed to stand for. "I renovated this dollhouse and nicknamed it "the Black House," a parallel universe to the White House. Much of the interior decor was either manipulated, altered, or created by my hand. Some of the furniture was a gift from my friend Doug, which I then spray painted gold since Donny loveth and coveteth the Gold. This project is how I handle my constant outrage and incredulity at the state of American life under Republicans." - Ollie Gee, June 2018 |
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
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My name is Ollie Gee. I am a gay, latina artist, who moonlights as a professional cat herder (it pays the bills). As an artist, I illustrate intangible emotion using figurative and anthropomorphic themes. I also draw comics.
My work explores the human condition, light and dark. It is a way for me to scrutinize various aspects of the social consciousness. To create a playful and innocuous veneer, I use bright hues in my watercolor pieces. Upon deeper examination of each piece, the disquieting and melancholy layers emerge. The black and white drawings are more straightforward, expressing fairly obvious metaphors. Of course, there are also pieces in the collection that represent the more cheerful side of humanity. It is important to look for humor and light in even the darkest corners of our universe. The art I create is meant to share a story that many people also experience but do not necessarily know how to visualize or even vocalize. The goal is for each piece to provoke thought and stimulate conversation. Though I may have a recognizable concept as the original launching point for each piece, once I have completed a work, I believe that the continuation of the idea or story is through the viewer’s insight or intuition. |
