Artist Biography
Sean Alexander currently resides in the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn New York.He has played an important role in the development of the Tacoma art scene he ran a progressive art space called “The Helm. From 2006 to 2008 His hobbies and creative ventures include making pictures, writing songs, watching football, playing scrabble, making coffee, drinking juice and spending time with his girlfriend. His most recent exhibition took place at Public Space One in Iowa City. He is currently brainstorming for future projects and enjoying spending time with good people again.
Seasonal Affective
New Drawings by Sean Alexander
January 20th – March 12th 2011
“SEASONAL AFFECTIVE” is the latest work to flow through Sean Alexander. His humble subjects The Cat, The Duck and Boys Picking Flowers are characters in this surrealistic exploration. Executed in a Modern Folk style this work is a return to simple line and humble material. The pieces are built layer upon layer with a patterned frequency reminiscent more of quilting than that of ink and graphite. His compositions exhibit an adversarial relationship to perspective and dimension often disguising a unified image when observed as a whole.
Seasonal Affective
Artist Statement
Dec. 13th 2010
I have been drawing like this for five years now. During that time I have tried to work consistently and with purpose. I have always said that a good artist has to work even when they don’t feel like working. The feelings that I am working against are hopelessness, fear, heartache, negativity, and darkness. Sometimes they are winning and it gets so dark in here. This winter has been the worst I have had. I have been fantasizing about suicide in my car a lot. It is a piece of shit in there. Coffee cups and empty cigarette packs everywhere. I have 2 CDs: A Sufjan Stevens mix and copy of a mix that I made for my girlfriend before she moved to Oklahoma last month. The music is awfully sad. My head is running like crazy and I am in a state of confusion. I get these texts that say ‘I love you’ a lot, but I don’t feel like I love anyone. I just want these pictures to turn out good. I want to win. I want to sit down and be calm. – Sean Alexander
Modern Folkcore
I have observed a Modern Folk movement within the culture of the Northwest. With its Western Americana heritage this region is fertile ground for this development in art. Modern Folk is a return to simple line and humble material and often exhibits an adversarial relationship to perspective and dimension. Sean Alexander’s work embodies many of these characteristics while offering his own surrealistic compositions and jumps in perspective. His pieces build layer upon layer with a patterned frequency reminiscent more of quilting than that of ink and graphite drawings. His compositions are clean and direct and often disguise a unified composite image when observed as a whole. I pick Sean as my guide and interpreter. I am moved and inspired by his artwork that is inevitably affected through the seasonal challenges that are indicative of the region. -Oliver Doriss
