Jim Shaw's Oist Religion Unveiled at Le Magasin

At Le Magasin in Grenoble, Jim Shaw presented his sprawling fictional religion Oism, a paranoid system critiquing belief and idolatry. The exhibition, running from June 15 to September 14, 2003, encompassed abstract paintings by invented Oist artist Goodman, iconoclastic student works, a cabinet of forbidden images, kitsch movie posters, performance, installation (The Donner Party), and thrift store finds. Oism, purportedly founded in the 18th century, bans figuration, believes in reincarnation, and worships the goddess O. Shaw's work draws on 1950s-70s American subculture, including comics, religious pamphlets, UFO prints, and kitsch, blending high and low art. The Donner Party references both the historical cannibalistic event and Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, critiquing utopian ideals. Shaw's method of compulsive collecting and surrealist free association creates a totalizing imaginary where all elements interconnect, challenging aesthetic judgments and postmodern irony.