There’s an artist out there for everyone. Some people like artwork that features frilly flowers, while others are drawn to works of art that portrays the more surreal and bizarre. In-between there are countless creations that lead us to discovering painted worlds the likes that only artists can conceptualize and deliver.
Whether you’re visiting an exhibit at the Burchfield-Penney or standing in front of a mural in Black Rock, artists manage to find a way to deliver messages to us in a way that is both intended and unintended. That’s because art is subjective. What you may see, someone else might see entirely differently. I’m pretty sure that an artist such as Ogre, who has a show coming up in Allentown, falls in the category “Love him or hate him.”
While we are still barely seeing the tip of the public art iceberg, it is important to recognize that we do have the caliber of artists who do have the ability to create serious art instillations in our city. I’m not saying that everyone is going to like Ogre’s work (as much as I do), or that his work should be peppered throughout the city willy nilly… I’m just suggesting that we try to keep an open mind and while doing so attempt to match local artists with appropriately designated public art projects. Thankfully there are gallery owners out there who not only appreciate these types of works hanging on walls – they also understand the impact that they make when forged in public places.
When I first heard that a local artist named Ogre was gearing up to show at Allen Street Hardware Cafe, I decided to delve into his works a bit more. The last time I saw Ogre working on a public project was when he and artist Chuck Tingley conducted a live session at Music is Art. Seen here:
I remember watching the piece unfold and wondering how some people could be so gifted with imagination and talent when it comes to creating images such as the one seen above. While exploring Ogre’s website, I came across three time lapse videos that help to capture the amount of skill, determination and passion that is needed to destroy and rebuild awesome works. When I first realized that the artists were in the process of painting over a mural that they had finished at an earlier point in time, I was actually bummed. Then, as the video progressed I became so engrossed with the process that I soon forgot about the previous work. While we are fortunate to be surrounded by works of art in Buffalo, it is not often that we are presented the opportunity to witness paintings created before our very own eyes…
I know that Ogre has shown his works at Gallery 464 in the past, and there are some pretty lucky walls around the city that sport his work. When I see the number of amazing images that the artist continues to create (along with Chuck Tingley), I can’t help but think of the number of deserving walls in Buffalo (including gallery walls). Just look at these images below – heck, there are a couple of houses in my neighborhood that could benefit from a paint job like this:
If Ogre has inspired you, as he has inspired me, consider attending his upcoming show called Cutieville at Allen Street Hardware Cafe on Wednesday January 4 @ 5pm. When asked for an artist’s statement, Ogre humbly replied, “Ogre hungry! Me take stuff and put on stuff. No like rules. Ogre smash rules! World need better bigger bewwtifuller. Too boring too long. Ogre never sleep always want eating. Ogre never satisfied!”
Allen Street Hardware Café is located at 245 Allen Street, Buffalo
Newell Nussbaumer is 'queenseyes' - Eyes of the Queen City and Founder of Buffalo Rising. Co-founder Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. Co-founder Powder Keg Festival that built the world's largest ice maze (Guinness Book of World Records). Instigator behind Emerald Beach at the Erie Basin Marina. Co-creator of Rusty Chain Beer. Instigator of Buffalo Porchfest, and Paint vs. Paint. Founder of The Peddler retro and vintage market on Elmwood. Instigator behind Liberty Hound @ Canalside. Throws The Witches Ball at Statler City, the Hertel Alley Street Art Festival, and The Flutterby Festival. And his latest adventure... FigBuffalo, with the intention of creating a Buffalo United Fashion Front (BUFF).
Contact Newell Nussbaumer | Newell@BuffaloRising.com