Oli Goldsmith - Artist BIO
Born in Toronto, Canada in 1979 Oli Goldsmith's collage paintings / contemporary combines merge digital output and transfer processes with paint, ink and traditional media.
My work explores the impact of technology on the human psyche; on a personal and collective level. The image and the word seem to explode the possible for our species - those most stunning human traits as self-awareness and comprehension of conscious phenomena both expand and are influenced by our media environment.
While working with surreal and often personal material - my compositions are informed by popular culture, evoking the consumer media landscapes that surround us online and off. I am intrigued by how communications technologies shape and define the modern sense of what it means to be an individual and impacts our sense of Self.
Recent works combine digital and traditional paint techniques with various additions - custom vinyl die-cuts, silkscreen, digital transfer, graffiti paint markers combine in layered ArtResin and Acrylic sheets on wood panel. The combined depth invokes optical parallax effects enhanced by incandescent and holographic substrates.
Exhibiting since he was 16, Oli Goldsmith's prolific career has landed him acclaim, awards, and numerous projects for major agencies, record labels and entertainment companies. Oli's collage paintings reside in many private, public and corporate collections across the world, including Maple Leaf Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Royal Canin Pet Foods, and The Sagamihara City Collection in Japan.
Oli Goldsmith - CV
Contact details
EMAIL: OLIGOLDSMITH @ GMAIL.COM
Tel/Txt: 905-375-5974
education:
• High school diploma from Earl Haig Secondary School (attended Claude Watson School for the Arts as visual arts major, graduated Ontario Scholar with several arts awards including top Claude Watson graduation award).
• Attended York University in Toronto as a member of the Circle of Scholars (full entrance scholarship) in Fine Arts Cultural Studies.
selected fine art exhibitions:
• CRITICAL MASS, 2019, Charity Art Auction, Port Hope
• BANNERMANS, 2019, Solo Show, Peterborough
• FLYING PONY, 2018, Solo Show, Toronto
• ENGINE GALLERY, 2017, Solo Show, Port Hope
• ALISON MILNE GALLERY, 2016, Solo Show, Toronto
• MICHAEL THOMAS, 2014, Solo Show, Port Hope
• HOLLANDER YORK GALLERY, 2010, Solo Show, Toronto
• MUSE GALLERY. October 2008. Group show. Toronto.
• KATHARINE MULHERIN Contemporary Art Projects. Sept. 2008. Group show. Toronto.
• TERRONI. Sept. 2008. Solo show. Toronto.
• GALLERY JONES. June 2006. Solo show. Vancouver.
• PARTS GALLERY. ‘Trophy.’ March 2006. Solo show. Toronto.
• MAHAN GALLERY. August 2005. Group Show. Ohio.
• THE DRAKE HOTEL. November 2004. Artist in Residence. Toronto.
• SAGAMIHARA ARTIST ASSOCIATION. Sept. 2004. Group show. Sagamihara, JAPAN.
(several pieces now part of the official Sagamihara public art 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. “Harmony Helper” - 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. “Exploded View” - April 1998. Solo Show. Toronto.
• DIGITAL SALON. January 1998. Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
• EAST QUEEN GALLERY. “In Context” -December 1997. Solo Show. Toronto.
• SVA - the Visual Arts Museum. “Digital Salon ‘97”. NYC.
selected projects:
2019 Hope Portal. experimental photography and virtual reality online exhibition,
2008 Johnson & Johnson Medical Products
Created mural-sized commissioned artwork for lobby of corporate office.
2008 OWL Kids / Chickadee Magazine
Created Full-Page Illustration for Chickadee Magazine.
2008 Medi-Cal / Royal Canin
Created mural-sized commissioned artwork and original promotional design pieces.
2006
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, ON
Senior Designer
• Produced broadcast design / animation for CBC Newsworld’s ‘the Scene’ and CBC’s ‘the Fifth Estate’.
• Created authentic 60s style opener / show packaging for critically acclaimed mockumentary
‘Jimmy MacDonald’s Canada’ as well as treating / coloring all show footage.
• Melded archival footage from CBC archives into dynamic modern branding piece for ‘CBC Retro TV’.
2006 Outdoor Life Network
Assisted in creating show opener & on-air branding for TV show ‘Ed’s Up’.
2005 Outdoor Life Network
Contract to TRACE Pictures - created opener, branding & bumpers for TV show ‘Park Raving Mad’.
2005 The Drake Hotel
Created animated spot for broadcast TV and in-flight viewing on Air Canada flights.
2004-2005
Moral of the Story Corp., Toronto, ON
Creative Director
• Created demo for experimental short film ‘I Met the Walrus’.
• Directed animated music videos for Sir Jerry ‘Bees, Butterflies & Bugs’ (BravoFact)
and Cindy Gomez ‘Forever Comes and Goes’ (VideoFact).
2001-2004
Notorious Pictures, New York, NY
Music Video Director + Senior Motion Designer
• Directed acclaimed animated music videos for Richard X feat. KELIS ‘Finest Dreams’ (Virgin Records UK)
which was showcased in RESfest and reached #1 in the UK, and Butch Walker ‘My Way’ (Arista/BMG).
• Produced original animation for VH1’s “Hall of Fame”, including extensive 3d environment showcasing
archival footage and pop culture imagery.
• Created cutting edge motion design for clients such as CableVision and TBWA\Chiat\Day.
2004
Liberal Party of Canada
Contract to Bitcasters, Inc. - website design & streaming video deployment for
the Liberal Party of Canada’s 2004 election campaign (Liberal.ca).
2004 Aries Communications Group, Inc.
Corporate website design / development (www.aries-communications.com).
2002 RES Magazine
Authored bundled showcase DVD profiling cutting edge film and animation.
Live Experimental Digital Art and Video Mixing
• 2007 – Nuit Blanche @ The Distillery District – Pure Spirits Oyster Bar & Grill.
• 2006 – Nuit Blanche @ The Drake Hotel Sky-yard.
2007
999 Borats. web 2.0 Experimental Online Pop-Art Project (received substantial international press coverage).
Popsurrealism.tv. Finalist in 2007 Rhizome Commissions (at the New Museum).
2001
SOUP, Toronto, ON
Founder + Creative Director
• Founder and creative lead for multi-disciplinary studio, produced in-house projects including online art + design publication ‘p-soup’ and dvd ‘Backyard Circus’ animated short film..
• Created live action / animated hybrid music video for Our Lady Peace ‘Right Behind You’ (SONY Music).
• Created dynamic on-air branding for MuchMusic, logo treatments aired regularly for close to a year.
2000
SONY Music Canada, Toronto, ON
Art / Design / Music Video Direction / Animation
• Created Juno Award nominated original album artwork for Our Lady Peace ‘Spiritual Machines’.
• Directed ground-breaking animated music video for Our Lady Peace ‘In Repair,’ nominated for a Juno Award, nominated for 6 MuchMusic Video Awards (won 3 including best video of the year, best director and best post production), screened at SIGGRAPH.
1998-2000
Bitcasters, Inc., Toronto, ON
Creative Director
• Created a wide range of new media and web-based projects for top brands and global leaders such as
Miramax Films (Miramax New Media), Universal Music (“bluematter”, the world’s first major-label
secure digital music format), Media 100 (DVD/CD-Rom showcase piece) and A-Channel.
• Designed and developed Bitcast.com, one of the world’s first user generated content sites.
selected media / publications:
• la Republica delle Donne, Italy. Dec. 2007. Feature article about Oli’s video art, painting and web projects.
• StyleRepublicMagazine.com. Oct. 2007. Feature article about Oli’s art and 999 Borats project.
• IcelandAir Inflight Magazine. Summer 2007. Interview with Oli about his art and 999 Borats project.
• Canadian Press. May 2007. National and internationally syndicated piece covering 999 Borats project.
• WISH Magazine. Dec. 2005. Interior design piece featuring Oli’s art.
• COUPE Magazine. Fall 2004. Designer awards showcase, features 2 winning works by Oli.
• Elle Canada. June 2004. Full page feature article on Oli’s fine art.
• Elm Street Magazine. October 2000. Article on Oli’s multi-disciplinary art by Betty-Ann Jordan.
• EYE Magazine. Sept. 1999. Oli’s art show ‘soup’ as original BUS gallery was featured.
• TVO, Studio2. June 1998. Feature segment on Oli’s various artistic and media endeavours.
• 1998 YTV Achievement Awards - Oli won for Visual Arts, national broadcast.
Awards and Recognition
• Directed ground-breaking animated music video for Our Lady Peace ‘In Repair,’ nominated for a Juno Award, nominated for 6 MuchMusic Video Awards (won 3 including best video of the year, best director and best post production), screened at SIGGRAPH.
Clients
• SONY Music Canada
• Miramax Films
• Miramax New Media
• Universal Music
• Media 100
• MuchMusic (ChumCity)
• Notorious Pictures / Notorious Films, Inc
• Virgin Records UK
• Arista / BMG
• VH1
• TBWA\Chiat\Day
• CableVision
• Bitcasters, Inc.
• Johnson & Johnson Medical Products
• OWL Kids / Chickadee Magazine
• Medi-Cal / Royal Canin
• Outdoor Life Network
• The Drake Hotel, Toronto
• Liberal Party of Canada
• Aries Communications Group, Inc.
• RES Magazine
• A-Channel
• Packard Bell / NEC
• Mövenpick Restaurants