May 13 - August 13, 2017
Lauded by The New York Times as “one of our greatest living artists of mysterious, erudite, and confounding photomontages,” John O’Reilly creates intricate assemblages that fuse together art history, literature, and autobiography. Nationally celebrated, O’Reilly is a Worcester-based artist whose composite artworks investigate eroticism and violence, often through the inclusion of self-portraiture.
This exhibition examines the close affinity O’Reilly has with the literary works of Jean Genet, Constantine Cavafy, and Henry James. The presentation is a visual journey through these identifications as they reflect time, freedom, and order. It also explores the way he uses art historical references to enhance the depth of his self-expression.
Above: Spanish Royalty, 1986, Polaroid photomontage, Courtesy of the Artist
Opening Reception
Thursday, May 18, 5:30 to 8pm
Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments and cash bar.
Free with Museum admission.
Generous support for John O'Reilly: A Studio Odyssey has been provided in part by the following: Stephen J. Javaras and Robert A. Collins; Marlene and David Persky; Louis Wiley, Jr.; the Douglas Cox and Edward Osowski Fund for Photography; James E. Hogan III; and through a media partnership with Worcester Magazine.
Selected Images
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Press
Hyperallergic.com
John O'Reilly's Radical Photomontages
By Jeff McMahon, July 29th, 2017
Vice/The Creators Project
John O'Reilly on the Literary Muses That Shaped His 50-Year Art Career
By Nathaniel Ainley, July 7, 2017
The Arts Fuse
Visual Arts Feature: Artist John O'Reilly - Art History and Private Drama
By Timothy Francis Barry, June 06, 2017
The Boston Globe
Mixing memory and desire - and much else besides
By Cate McQuaid, June 02, 2017
The Brooklyn Rail
The Longest Journey - John O'Reilly: A Studio Odyssey
By Tim Barry, June 1, 2017
L'oeil de la Photographie
John O'Reilly's studio odyssey through literature, art history and autobiography
May 30, 2017
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