Samon project 2007:
Jealous
2007
Graphite, masking tape, blue mannequin eyes, newspaper, plastic, steel, chain, wire and acrylic medium
66 x 66 x 38 inches (168 x 168 x 96.5 cm)
Velvet
2007
Graphite, masking tape, blue mannequin eyes, newspaper, steel, wire, acrylic medium, glass-fiber and resin
Cock ‘n’ Rabbit
2007
Graphite, masking tape, blue glass eyes, newspaper, steel & acrylic medium
H24 x W36 x L24 inches (61 x 91 x 61 cm)
Sculpture 2006:
Escaping Freedom
2006
Mixed Medium
120” x 190” x 245”
Installation view Red Saw Gallery
Untitled (Fucked in the Eye)
2006
Graphite, masking tape, blue mannequin eyes, newspaper
Sculpture 2005:
For Everything I Long to Do
2005
63” x 75” x 65”
Graphite, masking tape, blue mannequin
eyes, newspaper, steel, wire and
acrylic medium
There's Something Deep Inside of Me
2005
45 x 64 x 61 inches
Graphite on archival masking tape, blue
mannequin eyes, newspaper, wire and
acrylic medium
Sculpture 2004:
The Urge That Binds
2004/05
Exhibition View Samson Projects, Boston
Hear Me Roar
2004/05
Exhibition View Exit Art, NY 2005
29 x 52 x 46 inches (not incl. pedestal)
Sharpie Marker on archival masking tape,
blue mannequin eyes, newspaper, wire and
acrylic medium (Red pedestal)
Take My Breath Away
2004
60 x 90 x 53 inches
Sharpie Marker on archival masking tape,
blue mannequin eyes, newspaper, wire and
acrylic medium
Biography
Rune Olsen is a sculptor and installation artist born in Norway. Since his first solo show in 1997 at Young Artists Association in Oslo, Norway, he has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Bronx Museum of The Arts (NY 2001), Islip Art Museum (NY 2002), Jones Center for Contemporary Art (TX 2004), Aljira Center for Contemporary Art (NJ 2004) and, Smack Mellon and Exit Art (NY 2005). His life-size sculptures of people and animals, which examine the interplay among desire, power structures and society, was exhibited in the 2005 Istanbul Biennial and most recently in 2006 at Hillwood Art Museum’s “Archival to Contemporary: Six Decades of the Sculptors Guild.”
Since graduating from the prestigious Goldsmith College in London, Rune Olsen has explored making sculpture by using what he calls "social materials." These are materials readily available, such as newspaper and tape; he then covers the surface of the sculptures in expressive drawn markings. His work has been reviewed in Sculpture Magazine, Boston Globe, Austin Chronicle, New York Times, and Star Ledger, where Dan Bischoff writes: "…The materials and that description do not prepare you for the extraordinary presence of the pieces…"
He is a member of Sculptors Guild in USA and several arts organizations in Norway, where he was a founding member of Atelier G9, a gallery with studios in Oslo. Rune Olsen has won 11 awards from The Norwegian Government, including the Emerging grant in 1997, the Establishing grant in 1999 and from 2003-2006 a distinguished Three-year work grant for young and emerging artists. Based on his extraordinary sculptures, he was in 2005 awarded the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship and a 6 months studio residency with Artist Alliance in New York. In 2006 Rune Olsen was awarded a place at the renowned Art Omi International Artists Residency. Rune Olsen is currently having a solo show with Samson Projects in Boston.
Born 1971, Norway
Member:
Sculptors Guild, Inc.
Norwegian Artist Association (NBK, Norway)
Young Artist Association (UKS, Norway)
Education
98-99 Goldsmith College, MFA (Postgraduate Diploma), London, UK
93-96 Coventry University, Bachelor of Arts (Honors), Coventry, UK
90-93 Visual Communication, Voss v.d.g. Norway
Installations, Solo and Two -People Exhibitions
2007
Samson Projects, Rune Olsen, Boston, USA
2006
Red Saw Gallery, Escaping Freedom, Newark, USA
2004
Samson Projects, The Urge That Binds, Boston, USA
2002
Islip Art Museum, Auto Parts, Project '02,
Carriage House installation, New York, USA
2001
Bronx Museum of Arts, CAP, SuperVention,
New York, USA
1997
Unge Kunstneres Samfund (UKS), Leap of Faith,
installation, Oslo, Norway
Selected Group Exhibitions
2007
Western Michigan University, Keeping it Real, curated by Jerry Kearns, USA
2006
Volitant Gallery, Take me to bed or lose me forever, curated by Leona Scull-Hons, TX, USA
Gallery 744, Newark between Us, curated by Rupert Ravens, USA
Cuchifritos Gallery, Working Space 06, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud and Zeina Assaf
3rd Ward, Nature More, curated by Peter Dudek, New York, USA
Hillwood Art Museum, Archival to Contemporary: Six Decades of the Sculptors Guild, curated by Jerelyn Hanrahan, New York, USA
MACO méxico arte contemporáneo, Samson Projects,
Mexico City, Mexico
ARCO’06, Samson Projects. Madrid, Spain
2005
New Art Dealers Association (NADA) Art Fair, Samson Projects, Miami, USA
Office of the Manhattan Borough President, Artists Alliance Inc, New York, USA
Istanbul Biennial, Waterways, artSUMER, curated by Renee Vara, Istanbul, Turkey
Venice Biennial, Waterways, curated by Renee Vara, Venice, Italy
Exit Art, Homomuseum, New York, USA
Smack Mellon, T-Zone,
curated by Peter Dudek, New York, USA
Scope New York, Samson Projects, New York, USA
2004
Arthouse at The Jones Center, New American Talent,
curated by Jerry Saltz, Austin, TX, USA
Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art, Timeless/Timeliness, curated by Dominique Nahas, Newark, USA
Samson Projects, Super Salon, Boston, USA
2002
Dining Haul: Unpacked no.4,
curated by Alisoun Meehan, New York, USA
2001
G-Module, Perfect Plastic, Paris, France
2000
Danielle Arnaud Gallery, Brussels Art Fair, London, UK
1999
Goldsmith College Degree Show, London, UK
1998
Kunstnernes Hus, H?stutstillingen, Oslo, Norway
1997
Atelier G9, Geniale I, litt likt og litt forskjellig, Oslo, Norway
G.U.N., Gnu Nug-Nug, Oslo, Norway
1996
Atlerier G9, Klar, Freidig, Ga, Oslo, Norway
Coventry University Degree show, Coventry, UK
Arcade Center, The Blind Spot,
curated by Dave Sowerby, Birmingham, UK
Grants and Awards
2006
Art Omi International Artists Residency, New York, USA
Statens Kunstnerstipend, Work Grant for
Younger/Newly Established Artists 2006, Norway
2005
Artists Alliance Inc.’s (AAI)
LES-RSP Residency Program, New York, USA
Statens Kunstnerstipend, Work Grant for
Younger/Newly Established Artists 2005, Norway
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship, sculpture, USA
2004
Office for Contemporary Art, Exhibition support, Norway
2003
Creative Capital, Professional Development Workshop,
New York, USA
Statens Kunstnerstipend, Work Grant for
Younger/Newly Established Artists 2003, Norway
2002
Aljira Emerge 2003, Professional Development for
Emerging Artists, Newark, USA
Office for Contemporary Art, Exhibition support, Norway
Royal Norwegian Consulate General,
Exhibition support, New York, USA
1999
Statens Kunstnerstipend, Etableringsstipend, Norway
1997
Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond, Prosjektst?tte, Norway
Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond,
Prosjektst?tte to Atelier G9, Norway
Norsk Kultur Fond, Debutant st?tte, Norway
1996
Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond,
Prosjektst?tte to Atelier G9, Norway
Panels, Lectures and other
2006
International Sculpture Center (ISC), Crossroads Cincinnati 2006 conference, key speaker, Ohio, USA
2004
Jersey City Museum, Slide presentation, Jersey City, USA
2003
Bronx Museum of The Arts,
Collaborative Arts Project-panel, New York, USA
2001
Bergen Kunst Skole, Visiting Artist in USA
96-01
1 of 6 Founding members of the coop studio/gallery
Atelier G9, Oslo, Norway