A solo show of the renowned multimedia artist and video art pioneer will open Guild Hall's museum for the summer season. "Tony Oursler: Water Memory" will be on view from June 8 to July 21, 2019. An Artist Talk will be held for members only on Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 3 to 4 p.m. followed by a private Members Reception from 4 to 6 p.m.
The exhibition will span the entire museum. It is curated by Christina Strassfield.
Fresh off of his dynamic Public Art Fund Commission, Tear of the Cloud, which was on view at Riverside Park in October 2018, Tony Oursler occupies Guild Hall museum to delve into the subject of water and “magical thinking” as it relates to the East End, according to the museum.
Through his inventive technological approach, Oursler explores the ubiquitous elements of water as a repository for belief systems with references that range from sea monsters and evil spirits to cartography and water memory.
"Tony Oursler: Water Memory" features the debut of a new process of projection on mist that the artist has been working on and mastering for the past 18 years, according to Guild Hall. The exhibition also features micro computer monitors set into hand blown glass heads plus projections cast onto unconventional surfaces and gallery walls.
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"Phase/Trans" by Tony Oursler, 2019. Projection with sound in high-energy resonant optical cloud system. Photo by Tony Oursler Studio. Courtesy of artist; Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, and Seoul; and Guild Hall.
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A pioneer of installation and multimedia art since the late 1970s, Tony Oursler has developed an experimental and innovative practice that utilizes projections, optical devices, audio, video, and sculpture to move images away from the white wall and onto unexpected surfaces or environments.
Employing conceptual dramaturgy, VR, 3D, stop motion, and live action, Oursler’s films draw inspiration from pop cultural and fringe phenomena while frequently referring to science and technological advances to create a dialogue between perception and communication.
Tony Oursler lives and works in New York City and on the North Fork of Long Island.
Recent international exhibitions include those at the Magasin III Museum & Foundation for Contemporary Art (Stockholm, 2016); Hessel Museum of Art, LUMA Westbau, Zurich (2015); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2014); Oude Kerk, Amsterdam (2014); Pinchuk Art Centre, Kiev (2013); ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark (2012); Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki. Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria (2001); and Kunstverein Hannover, Germany (1998).
In New York, his art has been exhibited recently at Museum of Modern Art (2017); The Museum of Modern Art (2016); the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2005); Whitney Museum of American Art (2000) and Bard College (Annandale-On-Hudson, NY) (2016).
Oursler's art has also been included in prestigious group exhibitions including documenta VIII and IX, Kassel, Germany (1987 and 1992).
Oursler’s work is found in public collections worldwide including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, DC); Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris); The Museum of Modern Art (New York); National Museum of Osaka (Japan); Tate Collection (London) and others.
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BASIC FACTS: "Tony Oursler" will be on view June 8 to July 21, 2019 at Guild Hall. An Artist Talk will be held for members only on Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 3 to 4 p.m. followed by a private Members Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Not a member? Click here to join.
Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.guildhall.org.
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