American Multidisciplinary Artist based in NYC. Born to an immigrant Russian family and moved to Brazil where resided until the late 90s. Although never formally studied Art, he started selling drawings and paintings at a very young age and later on developed professionally as a sculptor and photographer. In the middle 70s, while being a student of Psychology and Contemporary dance he worked as a photographer assistant and advertising designer. After few years of college he dropped Psychology school to pursue a career in contemporary dance that lasted for near 12 years. At the time studied Zen and Taoism at a Zen Center commanded by Robert Aitken Roshi and trained Capoeira in several academies in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
In the late 90s moved to New York and continued to work in many forms of visual arts and music. Initially supported by Art dealers Mr. Ivan Karp from the Ok Harris Gallery; and the expert in Constructivism, Mrs. Cecilia de Torres. From 2003 to 2006 he studied music composition and Jazz improvisation with ECM Artist, the Finnish Guitar Player and Composer Raoul Bjorkenheim.
Through over 4 decades of permanent activity Damien Olsen developed a consistent and vast body of work that features paintings, artist books, collected objects, assemblages, photographs and sculptures. His series of shelves or cabinets of curiosities for instance resemble geological/anthropological samples with no subtle or merely symbolic allusions to Architecture, Philosophy, Sexuality, Psychology, Paleontology and Natural History.
Since 2000 he has been creating Abstract Paintings and Sculptures from a technique that he call “ Involuntary Action" where he leaves practically free action to nature, gravity, climatic conditions and time to affect a blend of antagonist substances and different types of paint that by using water spry as a brush, the resulting images suggest imaginary maps, geographical accidents and aerial views.
As a musician he works in a wide range of electronic music genres, from Avant Jazz to Dance and Lounge music he has performed in most venues of The City of Florianapolis and Bahia ( Brazil ) and Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and recorded and produced a significant discography that involves more than 20 tittles. since the early 70s Piano and Guitar are his main instruments and by the middle 90s he started playing bass guitar and electronic instruments ( various synthesizers, samplers, loopers and computers )
Discography http://damienolsen.bandcamp.com/
Video works can be seen at https://vimeo.com/damienolsen
YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/DamienOlsen