STUDIO VISIT: Daniel Oksenberg Behinds the Scenes of “Sweaty Grips”
Daniel Oksenberg thought of himself as a sculptor before transitioning to painting, where he discovered newfound freedom. Today, Oksenberg explores the medium by turning his paintings into installations.
He debuted this practice in his solo show "CLUB MY HEART" (2018) at the "Third Floor on the Left,” curated by Meital Aviram. The gallery was intentionally situated within an apartment, where his works intentionally blocked the bedroom entrance and the living room window, making the space almost uninhabitable. Oksenberg's works function as a honey trap — beautiful and seductive, yet semi-naive.
At the beginning of 2020, the artist started to develop a new body of work, preparing for his upcoming solo show "Sweaty Grips," curated by Sagie Azoulay at Maya Gallery. Quarantine and lockdown only helped him delve further into his research.
We visited Daniel Oksenberg's studio in Tel Aviv to discuss his new works, research, and contemporary paintings. Images by Eyal Agivayev.
gggaaallleeerrryyy: What themes are you interested in, and what do you try to convey through your work?
Daniel Oksenberg: I am interested in understanding the daily narratives of psychology and absurdity, which often relate to existential uncertainty, sexuality, loss, and people's objectification. These themes usually occur in the domestic environment and manifest themselves in my work through still life imagery and storytelling mentality.
This year was an intense, saturated opportunity to experience these themes in a high volume, with the introduction of COVID-19 into our lives. Surprisingly enough, staying at home during quarantine made me explore some more surreal and imaginative versions of our dismantled reality. I carried some of these insights into my upcoming show.
ggg: What do you want your audience to take away?
DO: My works tend to be very seductive in their colorful appearance and draw the viewers in, but once you spend some time with the artwork, an uneasy feeling arises. I take into consideration that the viewers come to an exhibition with their own personal experiences. In my work, I try to tap themes that let the stories of their lives come forward. I hope that these memories will morph in a way that will change the very being of whoever is in interaction with my artworks.
ggg: How would you describe your aesthetic?
DO: My aesthetics definitely derive inspiration from theatrical sets and architecture. This is reflected in the materials and in the way my works interact with the space. There's a feeling of assembly that I tend to use wood as a platform for my paintings.
I create works that move between abstraction and figuration while holding some formalistic features that serve as a more childish-playful spirit. My new body of work contains rope and ties, inspired by the Japanese Shibari practice and the kids' game "Cat's Cradle." Along with the wooden artworks, this creates a sense of marionettes and puppetry.
ggg: What is the story behind the lead image of your upcoming exhibition?
DO: One of the images that lead the exhibition is more of a shape - a circle or a hoop. When I first started to work on the exhibition, I was investigating the image of the flower. After a formalistic reduction, I got to the shape of the hoop, which expanded the possible interpretations and allowed me to play around with more iconography.
Another image that came clear as a pillar in my upcoming show is the hand. The hands hold and release; their essence is involved with elements of control. It first came through thoughts about plate spinners. It is fascinating to look at the talented jugglers as they throw, switch, and catch plates. This risk and showmanship really intrigued me, so I started exploring how hands perform these traits.
ggg: It seems like you play with painting itself as a medium, creating a sort of theatrical backdrop in your exhibitions. Tell us more about that.
DO: Painting has always been a realm of game and experiments for me. I enjoy the way it can reassemble reality in a different poetic meaning using materials and shapes. This actually enables me to recreate an image to some extent.
As my work evolved, I tried to take this idea and apply it outside of the canvas and recreate life through the physical circumstances. The theatrical sense of this came very naturally: first because of my personal interest in stage design and theater, second because of painting's mimicking abilities. I try to blur the boundaries between objects and subjects, background and characters, and let the viewers immerse themselves in my art.
