“Eerie, disconcerting, fearsome.” (Art in America) “Freaky, intimate, underappreciated” (Sculpture Magazine).These are all adjectives used to describe the often-provocative and always-shocking work of Norwegian-born artist Rune Olsen.

Dealing with themes as diverse as animal sexuality, love and the power of rumors, Olsen has created works that respond to “obsessive thoughts and questions,”  as he writes on his Web site. “How do essential instincts govern our actions? What makes us behave in a certain way? How do we make decisions?” he says.

Olsen, who now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., will be exhibiting a mixed-media sculpture in the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery. Since graduating from the prestigious Goldsmith College in London, Olsen has created sculptures and installations that have appeared in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe.

The majority of his controversial works explore the physicality and sexuality of animals. He is especially interested in researching the differences between human and animal, what defines and distinguishes one from the other. Each of his works is obsessively researched, as each sculpture is based on a real-life image.

“I go through hundreds of Web sites . . .  I meticulously research real and recorded imagery of animals and people at their most primal,” Olsen said.

The materials used in his sculptures reflect this desire to access the most primitive and instinctual parts of animal and human behavior. He mainly works with newspaper, aluminum foil, tape and graphite,  all easily malleable materials that “allow (him) to work with a sense of immediacy.”  A distinctive aspect of his work is the inclusion of glass eyes, which were hand-painted in Germany to look like Olsen’s eyes.

“There’s Something Deep Inside of Me” is a work that is indicative of Olsen’s exploration of the interaction between humans and animals. Based on the myth of Romulus and Remus, the sculpture depicts a boy and a wolf. Although the work is undoubtedly erotic, Olsen is more interested in the boundaries between human and animal.

“When does an animal become human? Many say that animals cannot experience consciousness and sexuality the same way as humans. But I disagree,” he said. “I’m interested in the psychology of animals. They do have abstract thinking like humans.”

His work is often a direct reflection of the world around him; it is tactile and natural. Much of his art is also very personal and serves as a representation of his artistic and individual journey. His pieces tackle the issues of overcoming inhibitions, exploring relationships and assimilating into cultures.

In his exhibit “Escaping Freedom,” Olsen confronts the issue of free will and propaganda. Based on the 1941 book Escape From Freedom by Erich Fromm, the exhibit features a man suspended in mid-air, his arms thrust to the side, a work that is at once liberating and sinister.

Although his works are often blatantly risqué, Olsen disavows any notion that his work is based solely on shock value. “I don’t have any particular interest in shocking people. I actually have a reason for making the art that I do,” Olsen said.