Juxtapoz Magazine – Jeremy Olson “This Time of Monsters” @ Unit London

“The old entire world is dying and the new entire world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.” – Antonio Gramsci

Jeremy Olson’s latest solo exhibition with Device London places his common solid of otherworldly creatures at the centre of an apocalyptic environment. this time of monsters draws its title from Italian thinker Antonio Gramsci’s reflections on interregnum. Interregnum, an historical Roman phrase, signifies a time period of very long transition concerning historic levels. Olson situates his exhibition in this point out of in-betweenness, commenting on our recent time period of societal, political, economic and environmental uncertainty. In the course of these ideas of disaster and collapse, however, Olson’s exhibition never extinguishes a sense of hope and humour. Inspite of appearances, these monsters are depicted as sort and nurturing, baffled and introspective and, from time to time, they just want to social gathering.

Olson has been attracted to the concept of monsters considering the fact that childhood, an fascination that stems from his like of cinema. The artist grew up viewing scary flicks, the 1950s Godzilla films and David Cronenberg’s overall body horror. As an grownup, Olson’s fascination with monsters takes condition in their prospective indicating as something metaphorical, socio-political or psychoanalytical. In this article, the notion of a monster is an emblem of upheaval and enormous change. 

In individual, the artist’s sculptures bookend these principles of disaster. The major is a diorama of a monster with a kid, reclining in a decimated sporting activities arena. The lizard-like creature itself is an clear reference to Kaiju (Godzilla) and the composition is reminiscent of architectural products. The monster holds up the carriage of a destroyed monorail, questioning its indicating with a stunned expression, although concurrently nursing an toddler. Olson plays with perspective, not only with bodily point of view through the scale of his sculptural composition, but also with our very own standpoint of the monstrous. Listed here, the artist unexpectedly explores the subjectivity of a monster, reconciling it with a thing human by encouraging us to relate to its puzzled expression and its maternal romantic relationship. Equally, Olson’s smaller sculptures humorously conflate the monstrous and the human as person-produced constructions are created on the remnants of very long-useless monsters. A rollercoaster sprouts from a decaying reptilian foot and a children’s slide grows from a clawed hand. These incongruous references to leisure and play stand for Olson’s overarching concepts of rebirth and rebuilding.

In spite of Olson’s explorations of the apocalyptic and the catastrophic, this time of monsters continues to be imbued with the artist’s characteristic feeling of humour. His anthropomorphic creatures are promptly relatable as they are unerringly distracted by a monitor, a consume or by each and every other as the planet comes to an close. this time of monsters can take satisfaction in the current and reminds us of the choices that can manifest in difficult circumstances, hanging a stability in between a sense of acknowledgement and hope. Olson’s depictions of these monstrously abstract fears inevitably give way to universal inner thoughts of the interpersonal, reminding us usually to see ourselves in other people.