Albert Oehlen: Home and Garden at New Museum HO HUM

Albert Oehlen (b. Germ. 1954) is a contemporary painter who studied under fellow German artist, Sigmar Polke.  Oehlen's surrealism oil painting, mired with computer prints appropriated the styles of artists whose works were included in the CONTEMPORARY NOW exhibit at the MoMA this past spring.  Anchoring that show were the works of Sigmar Polke.  The majority of Oehlen's works were underwhelming compared to works by Christopher Wool, Charlene von Heyl, Laura Owens, Amy Sillman & Wade Guyton.  The most intriguing, hilarious paintings & installations were figurative self-portraits.  The room installation; complete with bed, chamber pot, turn table & albums (think Tracey Emin) featured a self-portrait of Oehlen's head in the bed with a paint brush sticking out from his nose as if thumbing it at the viewer.  He also portrayed himself as a dutch woman, complete with a Rembrandt style helmet. A large, colorful diptych SPRING is a detailed painting of flowers and trelises with a large self-portrait (where he looks more like Dali) and a smaller photo of himself rising out of a painted "genie" urn with frazzled rope attached.  His self-portraits were entertaining for their humorous narcism and whimsy.  All in all, I found this show rather flimsy.