B. B. Olshin on Putting Art in a Can
B. B. Olshin is an artist who sees cans as both inspiration and physical source material for his works. Recycled metal food cans are used to "host" small scenes, constructed with watercolour and craft paper, as well as other materials. Olshin currently lives in the Philadelphia area, but has resided in Europe, Latin America, and East Asia, and draws cultural influences from those years abroad into his work.
"The cans, from the foods that they contained, or from their shape and 'capacity', suggest to me the artwork that should now inhabit each of them..."
"I work with cans as a kind of 'host' the art piece. The resulting artwork inside sometimes relates to the can thematically: some of my favorites are putting fish into... cans of fish. Of course, the fish in the artwork are still alive, and they serve as a kind of ironic and yet stern reminder of where our food comes from.
Sometimes, I play with puns and alliteration in these artworks. In this regard, I've done everything from a piece entitled "Canned Conspiracy Theories" to "Cat With Cushions On A Comfortable Couch In A Can" (a favorite of my daughter).
Other pieces play with the idea of confinement (the can itself) and scale. For example, I like the idea of trying to put an entire circus in a can, with my "Three-Can Circus" piece.
In other "canned" pieces that I do, I simply enjoy seeing what I can create within the constraints of the given metal space, in terms of shape and size: circular or rectangular, deep or shallow..."
About His Process
"First of all, yes, I throw dietary concerns to the wind, and I eat a lot of canned food! I collect the cans over time — round ones, rectangular ones, small ones, large ones — and then start thinking about themes or alliterative titles. I have a pile of collage materials such a craft paper, foil, bits of wood, and also watercolour paper and drawing materials.
I look at the chosen can for a while as an artist would regard a canvas, and think about the 'fit.'"
"Canned Mackerel In A Can, Of Course", 2023
"I consider what would look good in that space, in those confines."
"Would it be good to create a place? An ironic piece? For something like the work entitled 'Canned Comandante', I realized that not only did I need to include the Castro-like Comandante himself, but I also had to have some other icons — the Communist flag, the tank, the MiG-21 flying in the background, and so on.
The work then involves a lot of cutting, pasting, fitting, re-working, with a big focus on composition, clarity, and the overall 'feel' of the piece."
B. B. Olshin "Canned Camping" (metal can, paper, wood)
About B.B. Olshin
He studied history, philosophy, and history of science at the University of Toronto, and has had parallel careers as a scholar and as an art teacher and artist. His inspiration comes from family, travel, and readings. Materials themselves also inform his work, as well as particular themes from everything from science fiction to the landscape. In addition to working with cans, he draws and paints, and experiments with digital pieces, as well.
Requests for commissions are welcome; please contact InLiquid
An artist who sees cans as physical source material for his works
Recycled metal food cans are used to "host" small scenes, constructed with watercolour and craft paper, as well as other materials. Olshin currently lives in the Philadelphia area, but has resided in Europe, Latin America, and East Asia, and draws cultural influences from those years abroad into his work.
Shown: B.B. Olshin
