States of Exception by Susan Ossman (January 21 – February 20, 2025) is an artistic foray into the existential conditions of an un-succored homeless migrant, the hallucinatory devastation of a deceived lover, the nomadic wandering of an ailing moribund person, the ecstasy of the erotic and auratic passion, the breathtaking glow of a poppy, and the scent and texture of the many places she calls home.
“Moving, vibrant, and visionary, Susan Ossman’s States of Exception, at Cal State LA’s Ronald H. Silverman Gallery, serves as both a recent retrospective of the artist’s work, and as a poignant and prescient reminder of the varied circumstances and situations that affect not just our personal lives but all human life.
Ossman’s art is intensely experiential, taking viewers along with her on a ride through her own intimate experiences and those of others. Along the way she provides responses to political and social issues both timely and eternal, such as immigration and migration, health, personal freedom, the environment, the sheer wonder of the natural world, and humankind’s place in it and response to it.”
Genie Davis, Diversions LA
Curator’s words and acknowledgement
Ironically, the exhibition's title, 'States of Exception,' seems to have been created for our recent record-breaking disasters in Los Angeles. However, given that the hermeneutics of this exhibition is broad and deep, one may easily conclude that America's recent experiences are prophesized by Ossman's intuitive grasp of our zeitgeist.
Susan Ossman is an artist, anthropologist, performer, academic, and writer. I have known her work for over a decade, and her expressions are at their core political, reflecting a wide spectrum of her life's experiences, from immigration/migration to diversity, inclusion, freedom, and health care. This exhibition presents a collection of Ossman's last ten years of work, which includes paintings and several installations. I hope that the "States of Exception" provides the audience with a moment to contemplate and reflect on the 'state' of the world as exemplified and conveyed in her art.
The Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to host Susan Ossman's solo exhibition. The Gallery is grateful to NYU Abu Dhabi for facilitating this exhibition and this publication which was made possible by the generous support of the NYU Abu Dhabi grant for publication program. A special thanks is owed to Ossman for sharing and explicating many facets of her art. The Gallery also thanks Cristiana Giordano for her informative conversation with Ossman- a dialogue that furthers the understanding of this artist's multifaceted expressions.
I'd also like to acknowledge the assistance of numerous individuals who have genuinely made this exhibition possible - the Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery student staff (Darren Alvarez, Max Ashton, Kayla DaCosta, Kevin Gonzales, Lauren Guerra, Jessica Guerrero, Nelson Lopez, Leslie Luna, Arielle Macanas, and Marissa Phann) for their work on the installation, receiving and walking-through the gallery audiences during gallery hours, and deinstallation of the exhibition; LA Art Documents (Jason Jenn and Vojislav Radovanović) for documenting the exhibition with video and images; Artillery Magazine; and Jim Scott for designing the exhibition catalog. Last, I thank the private collector of Ossman's work for sharing.
The Gallery, as always, acknowledges the Silverman Family, Victoria Barbour, Cal State LA and the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Stephen Trzaskoma, and the staff of the Fiscal Operations & Planning Office (Sylvia Ramirez and Phyllis Scott), for their support.
Mika M. Cho, Curator and Director, Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery - 2025
Installation Images
