Until I get my blog going to add some insight into my thoughts on art and my process here are some bits I've written recently on related topics:

POP-SURREALISM
As I have searched for a movement title best applicable to the style of my work and progression of it's experimentation with techniques, process, etc. Pop surrealism (admittedly not by me) came about as a name applicable to a number of artists, like most famously Mark Ryden, and is exactly where my work best fits into a categorization of a new idea or trend in art making.

It is about the same essential subconscious intent and inventive liberation of content - the improv style of working - exploring random connections and free associations, dream imagery, etc. that Surrealism had at its heart and applying that to our modern day, information saturated society where we are bombarded with snippets, fragments of imagery, text, coded messages, media is everywhere and it has changed the essential nature of how we perceive the world both around us and inside our own minds. Marshall McLuhan was way ahead of his time on this but his ideas speak to everything I would define about this kind of art making. It uses samples as if they were colours, it free associates anything and everything and sort of mirrors our world back through the filter of the artists subconscious. The implications of the internet are pushing this into even further territory where access to source material and all types of media is ubiquitous. Pop-Surrealism may not be the perfect header term for what I am getting at but it is as close as I have found and is certainly a term that defines my approach to art and see as an important emerging trend.

PROCESS
My work is technically a process that mixes digital and traditional methods to the max. It has always been about finding new hybrids that blend both and enhance the end result in the process. I have always been fascinated with trying to find ways to use the computer more organically. I love sending images into and out of the computer multiple times, printing, drawings on, solvent transferring, etc. scanning back in, digitally filtering and so on. It creates a wonderful cycle and in the process you end up with some pretty cool variations on individual elements, often they are worthy of exploring as pieces in their own right. You will see many recurring characters and elements throughout and this is one reason for this (though there are several) as I find using a particular image in only one way quite limiting. I like to try many different things and approaches.

MEANING
About my thoughts on the conception or meaning of my art.

I despise the word 'meaning' in visual art and wonder about it's value as a question as in most cases it is a step backward into language, a terribly inadequate form of communication, the picture is the meaning, there are 100 meanings or 0 meanings and it depends much on the views involvement. Definitely some insight into certain image choices, what you are exploring right now, and so on are of value. But certainly in my type of work to say 'what does this mean' I see as silly and naive. That's not to say there aren't many themes and ideas to cull from my work, academic and otherwise. But to sum up a work as having a particular message or 'point' to make is somewhat redundant.

BEAUTY IN ART
One other note. My work likes to have a shiny poppy surface, appealing and funny, absurd and attractive. Partly this is a reflection of the media and advertising world around us. I also think beauty has become underrated in art and to me the sheer aesthetic value of a work is vitally important. I love beautiful things and call me old-fashioned but I like art to by pleasant to look at. It takes alot for me to like a piece of art that I find to be ugly, bland visually or just plain conceptually based. But I digress, underneath the 'veneer' there are always little things going on that express something darker and more cynical about human nature and modern society. I have always described myself as "optimistically cynical" - but the optimism always comes out at least a tiny bit ahead! (sometimes alot).

RANDOMNESS
Here is a response I wrote to a question about my process, regarding randomness. It comments somewhat about some specific piece and body of experimental work (thus some references do not connect), but the overall ideas are very important to my process so thought I would share here too:

I wanted to experiment with I guess controlled randomness. I would take pages from books and magazines, load them into my colour laser printer in a random order, and print stuff onto them not knowing what it would end up on what.

I actually semi-shot my laser printer, or the fuser at least (though was able to get it fixed with a white lie to xerox by playing dumb!... as part of this was also me randomly feeding through the fax machine as a copier - which has a waxy type of pigment. Needless to say it turned out my laser printer wasn't too happy then having those pages fed through it cause of the heat involved with laser printers, so it ended up melting it a bit inside, which led to streaks and other problems. I actually have a ridiculous history with these colour laser printers and things going wrong, but that's a whole other story.

Basically I always like play with technology like this (trying to use it for things it wasn't really designed for). Also simply the experimentation element is at the heart of my work, I definitely have a distinct style going with my 'artwork' these days, but I am always toying with weird ideas as to how to come about with unique and different images and processes.

The random element of the whole notion appeals to the whole surreal and improv way I approach my art. I find the idea fascinating that ultimately of course it isn't 'random' in a pure way - I chose pages from the books or mags, I chose what to print, etc.

Randomness in a pure form is actually a very weird subject when you get thinking about it, and exceedingly rare, but of course with this kind of process you end of with alot of mediocre or even bad results, but happily with ones like this I end up with something I created through this experimental approach that I think is great. Anyway, to me it is part of the fun of art is the unexpected.

This is actually a case where I take the results of the experimental process... and then work with them/modify them consciously to end up with a desired effect. The main background was arrived at the same way I described in the other work, but then the type and design elements were done after the way I wanted to. I've explored alot of very different experimental or just different ideas and sometimes if they work out well they enter into my more common visual vocabulary and working process.

selected exhibits

• GALLERY JONES. June 2006. Solo show. Vancouver.
• PARTS GALLERY. ‘Trophy.’ March 2006. Solo show. Toronto.
• MAHAN GALLERY. August 2005. Group Show. Ohio.
• DRAKE HOTEL. November 2004. Artist in Residence. Toronto.
• SAGAMIHARA ARTIST ASSOCIATION.
Sept. 2004. Group show. Sagamihara, JAPAN.
2 of Oli’s works are now owned by the Sagamihara city collection.
• PARTS GALLERY. June 2004. Solo show. Toronto.
• Loop Gallery. ‘loot’ January 2004. Solo Show. Toronto.
• MVPA, ARTFEST. August 2003. Showcase of Fine Art by Music
Video Industry directors. Los Angeles.
• EAST QUEEN GALLERY. Dec. 2003. Solo Show. Toronto.
• BITCAST LOFT. August 2002. Solo Show. Tribecca, NYC.
• Partners' Film Company. April - May 2002. Solo Show. Toronto.
• BUS GALLERY. Sept.1999. Group Show. Toronto.
• TOURISM TORONTO. Nov ‘98 - Jan ‘99. Queen’s Quay. Toronto.
• EAST QUEEN GALLERY. April 1998. Solo Show. Toronto
• Digital Salon. January 1998. Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
• EAST QUEEN GALLERY. December 1997. Solo Show. Toronto.
• SVA - the Visual Arts Museum. Digital Salon ‘97. NYC.

selected awards

• 6 MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARD Nominations (2001)
for Our Lady Peace “In Repair” music video.
(won best post production, best director and best video)
• 2 JUNO AWARD Nominations (2001)
for Our Lady Peace (best album artwork) and (best music video)
• Recipient of Arts Toronto ‘Protegé Honours for 2000
• 1998 YTV Achievement Award for Visual Arts