Oliver Osborne’s (b. 1985 in Edinburgh; lives and works in Berlin) artistic practice encompasses silk-screen, and photorealistic oil painting. The artist uses repetition, as well as tweaks in composition and chiaroscuro, to excavate new images from sustained, often art historical fixations. In this sense, Osborne explores painting’s malleability over time, as well as its relationship to the personal – his subjects range from recognizably appropriated figures of portraiture to his own family.
The richly illustrated monograph Recent Painting provides the most comprehensive overview of Osborne’s practice to date, delving deep into the nuanced layers of his work and showcasing his ability to oscillate between subjects and techniques with remarkable fluidity and purpose. It includes an essay by Michelle Cotton, director of Kunsthalle Wien, and a conversation between the artist and Alberto Salvadori, director of ICA Milano.