Annie Oberlies

Artist Statement

Growing up in Denver during a digital revolution has led my interdisciplinary work to explore what it means to be a modern human in a society driven by efficiency and consumerism. My work questions how we make space for individuality and meaning in a world devoid of authenticity and connection. Harnessing my background in neuroscience and psychology, I examine themes of social disconnection, generational trauma, evolution, and power to grapple with how experiences in a mass-produced society embed themselves in our very tissue. 

Utilizing largely human scale sculptures encased in a multitude of materials such as plaster, cloth, paint, glue, and more, I challenge the viewer to navigate through the physical impositions of the space while encountering loud, dystopic, and eerie forms. I am continually fascinated by the ways we adapt and find connection in a modern, dystopian world.  Using collections of seemingly pointless knickknacks, objects, and materials to which we assign sentimental value, I create sprezzatura, large scale structures of found objects. I aim to confront the viewer with surreal sculptures that ultimately seek to understand the theme of an excessive, consumerist, and disconnected American culture.