Benjamin Oliver

Benjamin Oliver studied foundation at Jacob Kramer (Leeds) followed by a degree in Sculpture at the Brighton Faculty of the Arts.

Never fully content with the confines of sculpture, Oliver learnt the art of film-making and a combination of the two set him on a path that has spanned his career.

Back in Leeds in 1991, Oliver set about creating surreal films for the ever increasing number of party-people emerging during the 90′s. From humble beginnings (equipt with only one Super-8 projector), to setting up the North’s first, digital-video production studio, Oliver produced and directed films for the biggest club names in the region at the time: Vague and Back to Basics (Leeds), and The Paradise Factory (Manchester).

“For me, a nightclub was akin to an art gallery. Each week I had the opportunity to exhibit new works on enormous walls and to a massive audience. I was in heaven”.

Oliver was quickly discovered by The Faversham (an independent art gallery and nightclub in Leeds) and given the role of Artistic Director. Here, he was at liberty to simply; “Create”. Joining forces with The Divine David (Manchester based performance artist), Oliver went on to produce films that won them both national attention and a stream of TV ...

Jacob Kramer, Leeds -
Brighton Faculty of The Arts

Benjamin Oliver, OXYOPIA at The Ashton Memorial, Lancaster

From Sunday 18th May – 26th July, 2014, Morecambe Bay based artist and filmmaker Benjamin Oliver brings you a collection of his latest works under the OXYOPIA banner at the Ashton Memorial Gallery, Lancaster.

In his first ever solo exhibition, Oliver presents a series of artworks that trace a specific understanding the artist has of oxyopia. Oxyopia is defined as: “an extremely heightened acuteness of the eyesight, resulting from increased sensibility of the retina”. Oliver relates this to an environment where paint combines with light and sound to create a systematically womb-like and immersive experience.

First, there are the paintings. Framed in faded Victorian splendour, they are large and imposing, progressive graphical artworks. Butterflies, insects, animal and human forms are fused together in playful and surreal landscapes. In the centre of the hall stands a pedestal with instructions... Follow these to be faced with an animatronic butterfly flying in a jar and the sudden realisation that you’ve been co-erced into playing a small part in its demise.

Around the balcony, spinning cardboard circles reveal projections of continually adapting animations on t...