BRENT OZAETA at The Public Trust

BRENT OZAETA
at The Public Trust // by Todd Camplin

In 1879, Benjamin Henry Day Jr. developed a printing technique that uses dots to reproduce a photograph or illustration. The Ben-Day dots were low-cost and later adapted for color print in advertisements, newspapers, and comic books in the mid-twentieth century. Artists like Sigmar Polke, Roy Lichtenstein, and Gerald Laing used this small detail of the dot from mass media in their own work. In fact, three artists work are currently showing together at the Levy Gallery in London until April 21. London would be great to visit, but if you want a contemporary take on the Ben-Day and a great deal more then I would suggest you visit the Public Trust gallery. Brent Ozaeta continues the tradition of Pop Art, but with only vaguely familiar imagery.

Brent Ozaeta not only uses dots but also tightly hatched lines and checkerboard pattern to illustrate shapes. The female face is shown in many of the paintings surrounded by a visual cacophony of organic shapes. Some shapes are identifiable as plants while other shapes are just abstract forms flowing over or around the central figure or figures. The pink and orange colors are quite jarring. The areas of black and white don’t give much to rest upon, because of all the small objects flying around. Yet somehow, among all the chaos in the images, I found the paintings compelling.

The group of paintings reminds me of angsty teenagers. I could image Ozaeta doing a cover for a band like Sonic Youth. Only their contemporary equivalent like maybe Xiu Xiu or Iceage. Ozaeta is tapping into the youth culture vibe. Just like these paintings, all kinds of things just flying into your face all day through our phones. The level of noise we deal with has increased tenfold from when the Pop artists were alive and working. Ozaeta’s works reflect the madness of so much information while retaining a level of simplistic beauty.