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| BIOGRAPHY |
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OLI GOLDSMITH ARTIST BIO:
Growing up at the dawn of ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Ånew mediaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâàOli has always been comfortable crossing between and blending creative fields. In elementary school he began publishing his own independent magazines, where he gained early knowledge of desktop publishing and graphic design. As emerging tools were born for creative media authoring on the computer, OliÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s interests expanded to multimedia, web design and digital video.
While attending the ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ã
âClaude WatsonÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ art program at Earl Haig Secondary School as a visual arts major, he involved himself in numerous projects to build these skills. There he developed and released CanadaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s first CD-Rom ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ã
âyeardiscÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ in grade ten, documented his entire school in an elaborate QuickTime VR walkthrough, and created numerous prototypes for CD-Rom projects of his own such as the interactive 3d ChildrenÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s title ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åthe Adventures of Parsley ManÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ. Working freelance on the side he also completed various design projects for companies ranging from Alliance Communications and MÃÆÃâÃâövenpick Restaurants to Packard Bell NEC.
OliÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s interest in Fine Art also blossomed while at Claude Watson, where he found a receptive atmosphere to his explorations in the mixing of digital techniques with more traditional and painterly forms. Oli began building his art career outside of class, exhibiting his fine art in group and solo shows from the age of 16. Early opportunities, such as participation in the SVAÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Digital Salon in New York and Madrid, as well as the TOAE at home, and solo shows at TorontoÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s East Queen Gallery helped lead to recognition for his work. In 1998 Oli was awarded the national YTV Achievement Award for visual art, later Oli was recognized through the Toronto Arts Awards protÃÆÃâÃâégÃÆÃâÃâé honours, and media attention such as a feature spot on TVOÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Studio2 soon followed.
Frustrated by the slow pace of York UniversityÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Fine Art Cultural Studies program, and eager to get on with things, Oli left to join Toronto new-media company Bitcasters as Creative Director at age 19, where he helped build a brand recognized for its innovation and quality of work. Through this role he was responsible for the design and development of projects for major clients around the globe such as Miramax, Universal and Sony Music.
As always Oli persisted with a range of creative projects of his own such as making electronic music and publishing his first book ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åthe Moral of the StoryÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ. He continued to paint throughout this time, and in 2001 the art director for Sony Music Canada spotted his fine art. Oli landed the job of creating a comprehensive body of original packaging for Canadian recording artist ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅOur Lady PeaceÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàfor their album ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅSpiritual MachinesÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ. Based on the success of the commission he was asked to create a music video for the track ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅIn RepairÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ, an experimental animated piece that took the style of the album artwork and brought it to life through animation and stylized live motion.
The workÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s innovation met with much acclaim, garnering 2 Juno Award nominations (for both the video and packaging) and 6 MuchMusic Video Award nominations - 3 of which it won including best director, best post production as well at the best video of the year award. It was also screened at SIGGRAPH.
The video brought Oli to the attention of Notorious Pictures in New York, who signed him to their roster of innovative broadcast and music video directors. Through his representation with Notorious Oli produced as series of innovative music videos and broadcast design projects, including Richard XÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s track ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ã
âFinest DreamsÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã
â featuring Kelis ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã
â which reached number one in the UK for a week.
In the fall of 2005 Oli was offered ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ã
âArtist in ResidenceÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. During that time and on many occasions since he has performed groundbreaking live video-mixing. Teaming up with Sol Friedman for a performance of collaborative video mixing and OliÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s music during the first ever ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ã
âNuit BlancheÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ at the Drake in Toronto. He continues to ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅVJÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàlive and has recently setup a permanent home for his experimental work at his website www.popsurrealism.tv.
OliÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s fine art ambitions again came to the forefront in 2006, signing on with Gallery Jones in Vancouver and having several major exhibitions. His body of recent work has received much acclaim and collectors and critics have noted his advances in style and sophistication.
In August 2006 Oli was offered a senior design position at the CBC where he produced innovative broadcast design for the national network, but chose to leave the full-time role and continue channelling the bulk of his energy into his painting and other fine art initiatives.
2007 looks to be a groundbreaking year for Oli with an emphasis on bridging his fine art with the latest in technological and Internet advances. His website 999Borats.com features an online exhibition of his latest experiment in pop-art, popsurrealism.tv is a project featuring his experimental video in unique ways and even OliÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s original canvases have begun to include the addition of embedded flat-screen video displays, integrated motion and sound into the paintings.
Oli was recently married to Caroline Bacher ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã
â an accomplished sculptor and jewellery designer herself. Oli and Caroline live in Toronto with their 4 crazy cats and continue to pursue both commercial and personal creative projects in as wide a range of media as ever.
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