Pat Oleszko's Six-Decade Performance Art Career Celebrated in New York Exhibitions

Pat Oleszko, a performance artist known for her satirical costumes and inflatable sculptures, is currently being honored with two major presentations in New York. At age 78, she has a solo exhibition titled 'Fool Disclosure' at SculptureCenter, running through April 27, marking her first institutional solo show in the city in over 35 years. Concurrently, her work is featured in the Whitney Biennial. Oleszko's career spans 60 years, beginning in the 1960s at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was influenced by experimental art and figures like Andy Warhol and the ONCE Group. She moved to New York in 1970, gaining recognition through performances at venues such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Kitchen, and the Whitney Museum. Her practice involves using her body as a platform for wearable sculptures, addressing themes like politics, climate change, and social inequity through humor and absurdity. Oleszko also creates inflatable installations, which she incorporates into performances. The SculptureCenter exhibition includes inflatables, films, hats, and early works, accompanied by a catalog. In an interview, she described her art as a form of 'visual editorial' and emphasized her role as a 'fool' to critique societal issues.