TONMO.com Moderator Clem has reviewed the entrancing art of Skot Olsen in the following article:

Skot Olsen Art (http://www.tonmo.com/articles/olsen.php)

Thanks to Clem for another great article, and thanks to Mr. Olsen for letting us include his images in our review of his work! 8)

Clem,

This is brilliant! Thanks for showing us these pictures and the fantastic interpretations. 'St Architeuthis' is definitely my favourite, I'd love that on my wall, though I suspect we all would!

:notworth:

Thanks to Mr Olsen too.

Also worthy of a :notworth:

Clem, have you looked closely at Jethro's Epiphany (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=1998&imag e=jethro.jpg&img=10&tt=)? You have there a cross between Kali and Cthulhu! Also Silurian Salad (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=1998&imag e=silirian.jpg&img=10&tt=) depicts a demented sailor feasting on nautiloids. And as for Bathoscare (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=2003&imag e=bathoscare.jpg&img=&tt=)and Catastrophe at sea, (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=2003&imag e=Catastrophe-at-sea.jpg&img=&tt=)superb.

Mr Olsen clearly has a very good understanding of maritime folk tales and mythology, I recognise the classic engraving of the monster fish in the Architeuthis mitre, though I fail to recall exactly where this originated. Was it Olaus Magnus? If only real bishops wore mitres like that!

Excellent stuff, wonderfully warped.

Thanks for the excellent article on a fascinating artist. If they were available as reasonably priced prints "Black Water Harvest" and "Only the Squid Die Young" would be winging their way to my right now (as would "St Architeuthis" depending on funds). I'm umming and arring over the print of BWH:

http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/prints/prints.cgi?action=view&link=prints&image=black-water-harvestw.jpg&img=&tt=

but not if I'm going to get the new edition of the Heuvelmans book (and I know which is higher up my list).

Emps

"Aqua-Vitae" is my new desktop wallpaper. Skot Olsen is :elvis:.

Clem, have you looked closely at Jethro's Epiphany (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=1998&image=jethro.jpg&img=10&tt=)? You have there a cross between Kali and Cthulhu!

There is something inherently cephy about about some of the Hindu deities. (One of Vishnu's incarnations looks like a squid.) I'm hoping that Mr. Olsen will drop in and field a few questions, such as: who would win in a cage match, Kalilhu or St. Architeuthis?

Mr Olsen clearly has a very good understanding of maritime folk tales and mythology, I recognise the classic engraving of the monster fish in the Architeuthis mitre, though I fail to recall exactly where this originated. Was it Olaus Magnus?

Here's a little Olaus Magnus engraving and text. (http://www.weichtiere.at/Kopffuesser/legenden/olaus_magnus.html) The kjempeblekksprut is hard to miss.

Mr. Olsen's paintings reward close scrutiny, certainly those with the sorts of backgrounds that many TONMO'ers have in common. You know, people fond of cephalopods, Lovecraft and cartoons; Melville, theology and palaeontology; also: grog. My interpretations of the paintings are as subjective as my catalog of details noted and influences gleaned. Others will doubtless find many things I'd never pick up on.

Has anyone else noted the alarming likeness beween the eye of St. Architeuthis, and the living Architeuthis? (http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/kaiyo/2-topicnews/news/2002/02-02-01/mega-squid/mega-squid-01.html)

:shock:

Clem

I'm hoping that Mr. Olsen will drop in and field a few questions, such as: who would win in a cage match, Kalilhu or St. Architeuthis?

Well he has just signed up ;) :

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1520

Emps

Hello All,

Skot Olsen's art has been picked up by the discerning folks at Exquisite Corpse. (http://www.corpse.org/issue_12/gallery/olsen/)

Follow this link (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?direct=2004) to Mr. Olsen's site. In his 2004 gallery is a great new painting, titled "Alexander's Leviathan," of a giant octopus mauling a ship, and "H.M.S. Norton," which depicts a paddle-steamer being groped by (the same?) enormous cephalopod.

Again, great work, Skot.

Clem

Very nice work...Last American Vampire is great! Skot, fantastic gallery...wonderful images!
greg

All,

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Skot Olsen here in New York City. He was opening a joint exhibition of his work at Fuse Gallery, and showed some brand-new canvases, including a great big one depicting his old friend Architeuthis, a truly splendid painting of a phalanx of sperm whales cresting a wave and a portrait of one of the unfortunate Marsh family, late of Innsmouth. These new paintings aren't yet up on Skot's site, but he also showed an older work, "Bathoscare" (http://www.skotolsen.com/cgi-bin/portfolio/portfolio.cgi?action=view&link=2003&image=bathoscare.jpg&img=&tt=). Skot's moved on from acrylics to oils, and the recent work is newly fluid and light-drenched. He has many more squid-related paintings in the pipeline, and is conceptualizing some three-dimensional objects as well.

Skot's a delightful guy and a gracious presence, and he doesn't look anything like his subjects. To add to the fun, Melissa Hope was present with her partner in crime, Angus. (Sadly, I didn't think to bring a camera to record the occasion.) Anyone around NYC with an interest in seeing Skot's work should head on over to the gallery, which is located at 93 Second Avenue, in the East Village. Gallery hours are 2-7pm, Wed-Sat.

Clem

green with envy... no pics??? YOU son of a ....

Love those paintings...

Clem,

There's one of Skots paintings featuring a giant squid on e-Bay at the moment.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20147&item=7338753940&rd=1

Nice!

Very nice. His art will be on display at TONMOCON I, by the way... this Saturday!!

Oh...I wish I was going to see it. Next time, I've got to go. Methinks you are all in for a real treat this weekend!

All,

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Skot Olsen here in New York City. He was opening a joint exhibition of his work at Fuse Gallery, and showed some brand-new canvases, including a great big one depicting his old friend Architeuthis, a truly splendid painting of a phalanx of sperm whales cresting a wave and a portrait of one of the unfortunate Marsh family, late of Innsmouth. These new paintings aren't yet up on Skot's site, but
Clem

The portrait of Barnabas Marsh and of Wilbur Whateley are on his site now, btw.