Grotto Domestic

Jeremy Olson’s latest exhibition with Unit goes ‘underground’. Through a series of works that depict subterranean environments, Grotto Domestic considers ideas of time and enclosed spaces through the eyes of the artist’s signature cast of otherworldly creatures. Are these grottos natural, or man-made? The answer is inherently ambiguous, as organic rock formations and pools of water are contrasted with sleek modernist furniture and sculptural artworks. Ideas of confinement  are reflected in the gallery space itself.

The low ceilings of the basement setting mirror the cave-like environments in which these creatures dwell. Softened through the inclusion of fabrics and wallpapers, Olson has created a total environment that is both tactile and womb-like. Viewers seem to inhabit the paintings themselves, as the artist draws us further and further into this enclosed world.

Olson has always been drawn to cave environments, viewing them as theatrical landscapes onto which various ideas can be projected. Childhood memories of visits to caverns or play areas built to mimic caves inform his vision of these underground grottos that seem at once organic and simulated. In Grotto Domestic, Olson thinks particularly about time and leisure, pondering what we do when we have too much of both.

In this exhibition, the artist conjures a vague image of a post-work or post-scarcity world. These cave-like spaces seemingly offer endless time as, free from societal pressures, creatures simply lounge around or become absorbed by electronic screens. The underground worlds simultaneously evoke a sense of luxury and isolation. Olson plays with a juxtaposition between streamlined modernism and seclusion, forcing viewers to question whether these are spaces of relaxation or traps that inhibit interaction with the outside world.