Oliver’s new video work heavily references the seminal song and music video for O Superman by Laurie Anderson, which in itself subtly satirised the concept of masculine military power whilst...
Oliver’s new video work heavily references the seminal song and music video for O Superman by Laurie Anderson, which in itself subtly satirised the concept of masculine military power whilst asserting a powerful sense of feminine and maternal energy. In this video, through his own use of extended song/spoken word form Oliver is having both a personal conversation with himself and with the viewer as he morphs between different characters (such as Mr. Soft, based on a character created for a Trebor Soft Mints ad campaign in the 1990s) and other personas that may or may not be aspects of the artist's own character.
The artist describes the work essentially as an exploration of male neurosis and embarrassment through elements of personal narrative and wider cultural examples. At the heart of it there is a question around self pity and how much that contributes to the problem of toxic masculinity and male privilege, so genuinely opens a space for taboo subjects for men such as the loss of erection, utilising comedy to discuss this saddest of subjects. The film aims to be a comedy that makes us feel very weird and uncomfortable, yet a little bit sad as well.
The HD Video has a duration of 18’ 35” and is an edition of 5.
We Put The Unction Into Erectile Dysfunction, Brooke Benington, London (2022)
Literature
Artnet Feature: The Fragile Male Ego Is Explored in a New London Show Confronting Sexual Dysfunction, Hair Loss, and Body Image by Emily Steer (online)