Olivier Garbay NowNow (a show about now)

Olivier Garbay is pleased to present his fifth solo exhibition. Following on from the recent publication of his poetry by Other Criteria, Garbays’ new work continues to explore and expose his ongoing search for balance with light and encouragement and doubt and fear. His acute sensitivity to colours and textures can freely shine here as he joins them together within a mix of rigor and a sensuality strung towards a ravishing note. In The Mug, with Sarah Lucas by Other Criteria, 2009. The book was highly praised by Times critic and film director Ken Russell and quoted “Olivier Garbay has produced a provocative illuminated manuscript for the postmodern pilgrim.”

Over the years a relationship with materials established since childhood and remained young at heart, through years of practice, as basic and natural instincts well informed. Elasticity, transparency, temporality. Lately Olivier Garbay has been hand sewing a collection of pictorial and lyrical images in fabric. He presents the image of which the simple lines and designs are voluntarily restrained to a minimum, in the spirit of a Japanese Zen which would have had a profound affection for popular culture and thus developed its own style. Incorporating playful compositions which explores concepts such as Illuminations, Lightness, In and Out Sides, Memory, Glory, Elements, Laughter, Passion, Absolution…

Previous solo exhibitions include Welcome In A World Of Difference, Freedom, London, 1996; Ramification, The Pinael Eye, London, 1999 and Nature, Concrete Space, Hayward Gallery, London, 2008. Recent group exhibitions include Venice, Toulouse, Barcelona, Malmö, 2007-8 ; RU(techne)TH(episteme)8, 2008; A Tightrope Act with the London Art Exchange/Black Maria Richard Wentworth Kings Cross 2013.

Recently he has published the following: Eat Dog, 1999; Like sherry on the cake in Yoko by Don Brown, Sadie Coles HQ, Koening books, London, 2005; God is Dad, 2005; For the love of you, I’ve known caves. in The William Blake Birthday Book published by Bow of Burning Gold, Bath, 2007; Utopia, in Stimulus/respond numero2, 2007; DyNAsty 2008 in Under/current , September 2008; IT, Christian Egger magazine Princess lulu, December 2008; The Mug, with Sarah Lucas and Other Criteria, 2009.

He has since presented his work internationally (pictures, paintings, sculptures) with such group shows as the Hamsterwheel (2007), Soufflé (2007), LucasBoschGelatin (2011), Game On (2012).

Garbays’ most recent work include Gloria, And God Created Hot Pants, Precious Precariart, OCL12, Rose, Touché, Just Call Me Joe….