A Tension Worth Keeping Because the Drift is Always There presents a group of new paintings by Nathaniel Oliver that follows a cast of characters over the course of a day as they navigate a single landscape. Combining imagery from his travels; figures based on friends, loved ones, and, in this exhibition, his own likeness; objects from his research into the material culture of West Africa; and elements of fantasy, Oliver layers references from our world into paintings that work like speculative fictions. This mosaic of interrelated vignettes offers only glimpses into his characters’ narratives. By allowing us to imagine what happens in the space and time between the panels, the artist invites the viewer into his story of a community fighting…