McKenzie Fine Art: Jim Osman 2022 Exhibition

55 Orchard Street, New York, New York 10002 212 989 5467 fax 212 989 5642

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	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.