io

Bio:

Isaac Ogle, io as he signs his work, is a Brooklyn based artist from Massachusetts. io started his artistic career working with black ink exclusively for years to first hone his compositional skills. His palette immediately filled itself with washed pastels as he explored the world of color in NYC as both an acrylic artist and a commercial/film colorist. io is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in film and television production.

His films focus on topics of mental health and interpersonal relationships, and have won awards at festivals like Worldfest-Houston and Hollyshorts. His paintings have followed similar themes, but strive to foster connection through a more irreverent path, showing in New York and Paris with Superfine Art Fair, The Holy Art, and Art Gowanus. io's work exists at the intersection of abstraction and illustration, merging figurative and representative visuals that can be summed up as: whimsical.

Artist Statement:

The lil guys originated and continue to exist as celebrations of goofiness and silliness. This volume, vol. ø "PLAY," aims to emphasize that origin by deconstructing play into distinct elements.

The larger works are themed as follows, while the smaller works are renditions of those same themes. performance ("SOAP + WATER") cooperation ("PATCH UP") forgiveness ("YOLK") independence ("PARALLELS") absurdity ("GOOFED IT") This volume works together to display a holistic view of play.

I believe that as adults, we do not play enough. Playing is how children learn about the world around them, about themselves, about others, and all the dynamics that come with being a person. Why is it then, that as adults, we rarely play? If playing deepens our human experience and brings us greater understanding of all that we are, shouldn't we prioritize play?

Playing as an adult requires humility and resilience. You must be unafraid to laugh at yourself when you don't succeed, and unapologetic when you stand back up to try again. I hope that my lil guys break apart this fear of play, or at the very least, spark the question in the viewer's mind, "why don't I play more?" The lil guys are genderless, ageless, human-like beings.

They are made to be projected onto by anyone. They are made to be the vessel by which these questions about self and play can be asked. They are made to be mirrors, with a dash of whimsy.