“Where is Waldo?” encounters ironic, dystopian visions in Ben Tolman’s elaborate ink picture – Huge
In a scene carefully crafted by Pittsburgh-based artist Ben Tolman, dozens of figures live in towering buildings or gather in crowds, presented in delicate cross-inks. Encourage entertainment Where is Waldo? Mc Escher’s illusion, the artist recalls what Galerie LJ calls “a kind of human zoo.”
Opened next month, the gallery displays Tolman’s solo exhibition. control, Its title is taken from the current event. Over the past 15 years, the artist has introduced undercurrents of disconnected and imagined dystopian environments. His upcoming program acknowledges that some of these elements have been uncomfortable with the notion that reality has become unsettling.
Tolman portrays faceless humans who are like flocks, “willing to follow a path that is clearly contrary to their own interests: technology, invisible obstacles, belief systems, trends, trends, politics,” the gallery says. Come in control Q: How far are they (or us) willing to go? What is the cost of stupidity, or not paying attention at all?
In works such as “apartment” and “a conventional”, anonymous characters run in in separate, ruthless boxes. Some seem to be working, relaxing or socializing. Others seemed to be standing there, staring at their phones. In the dark “connection”, people line up to a towering ramp structure, absorbing a lot on the screen as they rise to the slope so much that it’s too late after they realize they’ve immediately gotten out of the cliff.
“Tolman portrays the quirky truths and social failures of Western society with a lot of cynicism and voyeurism,” the gallery says. “This is what (he) tries to understand, or condemn.
control From September 5 to October 4 in Paris. Find more information on Tolman’s website and on Instagram.
