Oliver JeffersObservations on Modern Life

Lazinc is delighted to present its third solo show with award winning artist, illustrator and author, Oliver Jeffers. Observations on Modern Life is the first comprehensive showcase of Jeffers' work from the past decade. 

Through his exploration of sculpture, painting, found images and collage, Jeffers takes inspiration from the world today and reflects this through his often social, political and humorously led works.

"…In recent years I have started taking political motivations for how maps have been drawn, and turning them on their head, using the visual language of cartography as a means to make other social commentary. By making environmental, apolitical and sometimes humorous comments on maps and globes, I have been addressing issues I feel strongly about regarding how random maps are in the first place, how arbitrary the carving up of things and drawing of borders are."

Jeffers' maps and globes retrace the exact geographical borders which divide us. However, through his use of language Jeffers seeks to humanize our view of these boundaries. His use of phrases such as, "people live here" or "land", to represent the various countries remind us of the ties that unite humanity, bringing us together as one coherent body.

In his disaster series, Jeffers takes found canvases from the streets of New York and "completes" their conventional background by superimposing painted images of different objects. These artistic interventions serve to drastically change the nature of the original canvases. For example, a large broken ship can be seen protruding from the top of a tree. Such scenarios reference catastrophic moments in history such as the sinking of the Titanic, whilst also suggesting that contemporary society's interests lay more in the spectacle of drama than in the tranquility of daily life.

Jeffers' work carefully explores the various political and social issues at play in today's society holding a mirror to the happenings around us, whilst always maintaining a sense of satire and playfulness throughout his practice.