John O’Reilly’s collages explore human sexuality using a combination of found images from porn magazines, art books, and vintage coloring books as well as his own Polaroid images.
Carpaccio/La Tour (Worcester Street Series #3, Somerset St) is from a series exploring the artist’s hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. Here, a man having an erotic experience is pictured against a backdrop of trees and musicians. The trees appear phallic and the presence of the musicians conjures an imaginary soundtrack that elevates the sense of euphoria experienced by the figure in the foreground. The disembodied arm pleasuring the man disappears into the landscape, almost as if the landscape itself is engaging in a sexual act with him.
–Caroline Coxe ’20
From the exhibition: Lover EarthArt and Ecosexuality (May 30 – August 23, 2020)
