Critical Mass 2015

Lizamore & Associates Johannesburg 2015

In Critical Mass, Olivier works in various media such as sculpture, drawing and installations. Using cardboard to sculpt with, Olivier intuitively creates forms and figures. He sees his position as an artist as that of a dragoman, an interpreter of the formless and the invisible, facilitating communication between the soul and matter. It is this process that contributes to his choice in materials. The present – which is what he focuses on - requires an immediate response, an expeditious choice of materials.

The artist operates with a strong sense of ubiety which becomes evident when he surrenders to making. Olivier analyzes and interprets clues given by the forms he’s interacting with. He sees and then only understands what the figure tries to convey. Then he adds and bends in order to comply with what the shape needs. This cyclical interaction between the artist’s eye and his response to what he sees, is repeated until the completion of this process where form leads the concept and not vice versa. And then finally the form exists, animated and alive.