Demetrius Oliver facts for kids

Demetrius Oliver (born March 2, 1975) is an American artist and teacher. He lives and works in New York City. He is famous for his art installations. These are special art pieces made for a specific place. He uses different art forms like photography, sculpture, and video.

Oliver often uses everyday items and pictures he finds. His art explores big ideas like American transcendentalism (a philosophy about nature and self-reliance), music, and cosmology (the study of the universe).

Early Life and Education

Demetrius Oliver studied art at two well-known universities. He earned his first art degree (B.F.A.) in 1998. This was from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.

Later, he got his master's degree (M.F.A.) in 2004. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, he was a student of the artist Terry Adkins.

Artistic Journey and Residencies

Oliver has been an artist-in-residence at several places. An artist-in-residence is an artist who lives and works in a special place for a period. This allows them to focus on their art.

• In 2004, he was at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine.
• From 2004 to 2006, he worked at The Core Program in Houston, Texas.
• From 2006 to 2007, he was at The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York City.
• In 2009, he worked at Light Work. For this residency, he brought large pieces of anthracite (a type of coal). This material has appeared in his art many times.

Exhibitions and Notable Works

Oliver's time at The Studio Museum in Harlem ended with a show in 2007. It was called Midnight's Day Dream. In 2009, his art was part of another show there. This exhibition was named 30 Seconds Off an Inch.

One of his works in that show was called Asterism. It featured a suitcase filled with coal and light. This piece made people think about astronomy and fantasy.

In 2011, Oliver took part in a special exhibition. It showed how much the artist Betye Saar influenced other artists. Oliver's work was included because he was inspired by her art. She used found objects to create art with deep, spiritual meanings. Other artists like David Hammons and Kiki Smith were also in this show.

Unique Art Experiences

Oliver created a unique exhibition in 2011 called Canicular. It was shown at The Print Center. His artwork was only visible for one hour each night. This timing matched the appearance of the bright star, Sirius, also known as the "dog star."

This show also played with sound, heat, and light. It connected to astronomy but also used things related to dogs, like a dog whistle. Oliver used objects and photographs to create this special installation.

His art has been displayed in many places. This includes installations at the High Line in New York City in 2010. He also had an exhibition called "Observatory" at D'Amelio Terras in New York City in 2002.

In 2015, Oliver created an installation called Anemometer. It was inspired by huge, 300-year-old storms on the planet Jupiter. That same year, he showed a series called Eclipse at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. This art showed the top of his head being hit by a jet of steam. It was shown alongside words written by astronomers.

Oliver's work was also part of a tribute show in 2016 for his former teacher, Terry Adkins. Adkins and Oliver had worked together on a sound art piece. It was called "Harmonic Spheres."

Teaching and Current Work

Today, Demetrius Oliver teaches art at Princeton University. He is also a part-time lecturer at The New School in New York City.