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In Stretch, Oropallo is pushing
pixels like paint, expanding, extending and spreading the images to new
formats. These more abstract presentations explore how far an object can
be obscured or exaggerated and still register as recognizable, testing the
number of visual cues required of the viewer for the process of
identification. Sections of an image are digitally slit, repositioned and
collaged with expressively altered sections of the same image, creating a
disorienting effect and confounding a clear reading of foreground and
background. The activated imagery exhibits an unfocused and distorted
outcome that lends the impression of optical vibration to the works, and,
in some cases, the effect of exaggerated motion.
Oropallo selects images of seemingly
benign objects from domestic life: toys, bedroom items, and iconic symbols
of home and neighborhood, often borrowed from the internet, and wields
them theatrically, mining a subtext that produces an unexpected beauty
while insinuating a subtle sense of unease and anxiety. Repetition is
paramount in past works by Oropallo, and continues to play an important
role in these new pieces. The use of multiple presentations of an object
emphasizes the monotony of domestic existence and the unsung dramas of
daily life. |
