Pat Oleszko, a 78-year-old artist known for her inflatables, costumes, and performances blending burlesque, commedia dell'arte, and protest, is the subject of her first New York solo show in 35 years at SculptureCenter, on view through April. The article features an interview where Oleszko discusses her creative process, the challenges of aging, and her desire to make work about fascism and climate change, while also noting her inclusion in the Whitney Biennial and a presentation at Art Basel Miami Beach.
This matters because Oleszko's long-overdue institutional recognition highlights the enduring relevance of performance and protest art in addressing urgent political and environmental issues. Her career, spanning decades in a Tribeca loft, represents a vital, chaotic counterpoint to the mainstream art world, and the show at SculptureCenter reasserts the importance of artists who use humor, vulnerability, and direct public engagement to critique society.