Michael Oliveri creates art with science, using powerful microscopes to create images that remind viewers of art that dates back centuries. His exhibition, Fragments of a Violent World, is in the West Gallery from June 27 – Oct 12, 2019.
“My microscopy images are an amalgam of photography and science,” the Los Angeles native says. “My intent is to fuse two very distinct aspects of society and culture / science and art, and connect them by way of aesthetics. Finding the apex at which science, art, and technology converge on a profound level is what I am truly passionate about.
“ This work explores the micro world of entymology. Collaborating with the Center for Advanced Ultrastructural Research at UGA, I have created images using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) which trigger our visual memory in unexpected ways through a calculated use of composition, scale and concept. Many of these works trigger the memories of 17th century Flemish Breakfast Paintings.”
Oliveri received his MFA in New Genres from UCLA, a BFA in Sculpture at the San Francisco Art Institute. He is the chair and creator of the ArtX department at the University of Georgia. His work is conceptually based, utilizing media ranging from large photographic prints to multimedia installations and performances. Live animals, immigrant workers, hydroponics, radio signal technology, effects processors, video and photography are examples of his unlimited palette.
