Oliver Herring: TASK

Oliver Herring is a visual artist known internationally for his use of experimental techniques as a means to better understand human nature, individual behavior, and interpersonal dynamics. His work has taken on a variety of forms, but since 2000 has focused primarily on brief yet intensive collaborative encounters with volunteer participants. Herring directs and documents these open-ended performances, usually involving a series of improvised actions, which take place in different environments—public and private, cultural and educational—and feature groups of people interacting with each other. The resulting works not only record these impromptu activities, but also reveal the poignancy implicit in strangers exploring their vulnerabilities and embracing trust. Herring’s work is in the collections of many major institutions, and has been exhibited widely nationally and internationally. Me Us Them, a fifteen-year survey of Herring's work, was organized in 2009 at the Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY. Herring was featured on Season 3 of PBS’s program Art21: Art in the 21st Century, and serves on Art21’s board of directors.