“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
On June 28th, the doors opened at 18 Wooster St in New York to reveal the fantastical world of Os Gemeos. The twin brothers that make up Os Gemeos, Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, are having their second show at Deitch, called “Too Far Too Close”. The artist duo, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has successfully altered the space into a colorful world filled with chimerical portraits, music, and scenes straight from the intimate minds of Os Gemeos.
Sharing a brain: Os Gemeos [GQ]
Os Gemeos: Too Far Too Close [Deitch]
Os Gemeos’s Homepage [Lost Art]
Bomb – It: International Graffiti Documentary [Bomb-It]
Os Gemeos “Too Far Too Close” [NYArtbeat]
“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
The colorful paintings, sculptures, and installations at the exhibit invite the viewers to become engaged visually, aurally, and tactilely. On the ground floor, the walls are covered with portraits of a variety of different yellow figures, as if someone had put together an album of all the people that exist within the day-to-day lives, interactions, and dreams of the two artists.
Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, the artists that make up Os Gemeos (Portuguese for “The Twins”) via Art Observed
Juanita Lanzo and Jeffrey Deitch via Art Observed
Another wall of the gallery incorporates a collage of doors, shelves, and found objects into their signature style of imagery. Again, the yellow faces peer at you from all directions, and are often found in the most unexpected and inconspicuous places. The work exhibits playful surprises and demonstrates the artists meticulous attention to detail .
“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
Gavin Thomas and Erik Floss (Fuse Gallery) via Art Observed
The exhibit also includes two large wooden heads that face each another in silent dialogue. One of the heads spews bubbles over the crowd and houses a psychedelic, mirrored interior space beneath it. The other, fashioned like a modern day Trojan horse, beckons viewers to “Take Me Home Tonight” on the scrolling LCD screen, and invites them to lounge in the red shag carriage it sits upon.
“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
Music and sound are a common theme throughout this exhibit. There are speakers within the psychedelic pyramid under one of the big heads, a small record player in the back corner, and a chorus of painted amplifiers on the upper level. One can help create the soundtrack of this exhibit by playing on the piano that has been set up to control the amplifiers. The result is a cacophony of voices, beats, and sounds that pour out of the “choir”.
Attendees play with the installation at “Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
The show was well attended, and attracted a mix of young and old. As Deitch once said about Os Gemeos’s work, ”An art intellectual, an art historian can appreciate their work, but a kid on the street can, too.”
Artist Flavia Mamtovam and curator Olimpia Piccolomini via Art Observed
Os Gemeos have starred in the video Bomb-It, a global graffiti documentary featuring the top street and graffiti artists from 5 different continents, and have exhibited in galleries and museums across the globe.
Adrienne Anemone and Claudia Secor-Watkins via Art Observed
“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
Artist Otavio Pandolfo, Arnaldo, and Coyo via Art Observed
Reginald Pean via Art Observed
Kosuke Fugitaka and Aneta Glinkowska from NY Art Beat via Art Observed
“Too Far Too Close”, Os Gemeos at Deitch Gallery via Art Observed
Performer Adrian Saich and Marcus Cummins via Art Observed
