McKenzie Fine Art logo
55 Orchard Street, New York, New York 10002 212 989 5467 fax 212 989 5642
  home | artists | exhibitions | news | contact
 
 

Jim Osman
Walnut: Second Series
March 2 - April 3, 2022



Jim Osman explores his interest in the perception of space through additive constructions of wood. His sculptures are conglomerations of blocks, boxes, panels, curves, orthogonal intersections and flowing wood grain in which form, function, and unstructured play coexist. By combining a variety of discrete elements, he creates sculptural tableaux that reference the built world, such as interior spaces, outdoor architecture and industrial settings. There are also nods to offhand spaces like empty lots, while some free-standing works unmistakably reference the human body.

What is remarkable about Osman’s sculptures is the use of color throughout. All are polychromed to some degree, and the painterly explorations not only direct the eye and define shapes, they impart a lively and energetic quality of movement and depth to the forms. Translucent hues enliven natural wood properties, while flat areas of paint in bright and optimistic colors highlight particular facets of the forms, enhancing a sense of play and possibility. Osman’s painted wooden sculptures fluidly shift scale, moving back and forth between literal, physical objects and miniature suggestions of architectonic spaces, theatrical environments, and landscapes.

An additional sense of whimsy is imparted by surprising compositions of irregularly shaped wood off-cuts mingled with finely crafted joinery. Refined elements crafted from rich walnut, such as precise triangular trusses and elegant compound miter joints, interact with blocks of prosaic pine or oriented strand board, while whorls of knots contrast with both smoothly sanded planes and rough-hewn bark.

Jim Osman was born and raised in New York City and received his MFA from Queens College. He has been exhibiting his sculpture throughout the United States in gallery and museum solo and group exhibitions, as well as outdoor installations, since the mid-1980s. His work has been reviewed in Hyperallergic, Sculpture Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, The New Criterion, and Artnews, among others. He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 2019 and has been a member of the American Abstract Artists since 2014; he currently serves as its President.
 
  Jim Osman, Lectern
Lectern, 2021
Wood, paint, and copper
55 x 13 x 6 inches
Jim Osman, K Truss
K Truss, 2021
Wood, paint, and brass hardware
45 x 22 x 29 inches
Jim Osman, Marquee
Marquee, 2021
Wood, paint, and paper
62 x 16 1/2 x 17 inches
  Jim Osman, Vas
Vas, 2019
Wood, paint, and cast paint
17 1/2 x 16 x 11 3/4 inches
Jim Osman, Pink Fade
Pink Fade, 2021
Wood and paint
11 1/2 x 13 1/2 x 14 inches
Jim Osman, Charme
Charme, 2020
Wood, plaster, and paint
19 1/2 x 9 x 12 1/2 inches
  Jim Osman, Slope
Slope, 2020
Wood, OSB, paint, and cast paint
25 x 10 x 8 inches
Jim Osman, Screen
Screen, 2021
Wood, paint, and cast paint
9 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 8 inches
Jim Osman, Green Plan
Green Plan, 2021
Wood, OSB, and paint
12 x 10 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches
  Jim Osman, Red Shift
Red Shift, 2019
Wood, paint, and plaster
8 x 5 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches
Jim Osman, Fence
Fence, 2022
Wood and paint
5 x 10 x 7inches
Jim Osman, Latch
Latch, 2021
Wood and paint
7 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches
  Jim Osman, Tract
Tract, 2022
Wood and paint
7 1/2 x 6 x 4 inches
Jim Osman, Pivot
Pivot, 2021
Wood and paint
7 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches
Jim Osman, Lever
Lever, 2021
Wood and paint
7 x 2 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches
  Jim Osman, Stroll
Stroll, 2022
Wood and paint
6 1/2 x 5 x 1 inches
Jim Osman, Ellipsis
Ellipsis, 2018
Wood and paint
8 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches
  Jim Osman, installation 1
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 2
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 3
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 4
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 5
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 6
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 7
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 8
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 9
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 10
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 11
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 12
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 13
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 14
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 15
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 16
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 17
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 18
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 19
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 20
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 21
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 22
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 23
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 24
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 25
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 20
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 27
Installation view
  Jim Osman, installation 28
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 29
Installation view
Jim Osman, installation 30
Installation view
return to exhibitions | view more Osman images
55 Orchard Street, New York, New York 10002 212 989 5467 fax 212 989 5642
email info@mckenziefineart.com