Alexander owen: SPOTLIGHT

YOUR WORK SITS AT THE INTERSECTION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL PAINTING. WHAT FIRST SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN BLENDING THESE TWO WORLDS?

I first started working with 3D software as a way to create images and references for larger projects that I couldn’t achieve through regular photography or model making. As I got deeper into the 3D programmes—building out entire scenes, arranging subjects, creating materials and playing with light—I wanted a way to bring these images out of the screen. I was drawn to painting as it brought a new skill and human touch to the process other than simply printing the pieces. From there it has developed, and each new render has pushed how I paint; each informs the other.

YOUR USE OF AIRBRUSH TECHNIQUES CREATES A HIGHLY POLISHED, SCREEN-LIKE SURFACE. WHAT DO YOU FIND COMPELLING ABOUT THIS AESTHETIC, AND HOW DOES IT SHAPE THE WAY VIEWERS ENGAGE WITH YOUR WORK?

I don’t want the paintings I make to shy away from their original source, which is the digital render. The 3D renderings are very slick in the way I make them, with not a lot of texture in the materials. Airbrushing helps me replicate this in a way that I couldn’t with a brush—there are no marks or texture in the paint application. When people view the work, especially now where everything is consumed through a phone screen, the very subtle painterly quality can be quickly missed, leading people to think these are printed works. If you get to see the works up close in person, the surface definitely reveals the human touch in making them, which I think gives you a whole new appreciation for the overall aesthetic.

THE OBJECTS IN YOUR PAINTINGS OFTEN FLOAT, CLIP INTO EACH OTHER, OR DEFY GRAVITY. WHAT ROLE DOES IMPOSSIBILITY OR IRREALITY PLAY IN YOUR COMPOSITIONS?

Irreality is a good way to put it! I want to lean into what is possible in the digital world that wouldn’t be achievable if I were to take reference photos in a studio, for instance. The compositions do have an element of surrealism and ask the viewer to suspend belief for a moment.

STILL LIFE IS A TRADITIONAL GENRE, BUT YOUR APPROACH FEELS FUTURISTIC. HOW DO YOU USE OBJECTS TO TELL STORIES OR REFLECT IDENTITY IN YOUR WORK?

The way in which I arrange objects definitely has a grounding in the now, but still life as portraiture has always been around. My works reflect the people I meet and places that I frequent, and so objects and belongings from these work their way into the compositions. The items depicted are a reflection of our current times and I enjoy how seemingly disparate objects can connect and work together to tell a story or paint an image of a person.

THEMES OF QUEER CULTURE AND NIGHTLIFE ARE CENTRAL TO YOUR PRACTICE. HOW DO THESE THEMES SHAPE THE OBJECTS, MOODS, OR COLOR PALETTES IN YOUR PAINTINGS?

Nightlife is a big influence on my work, especially in the past year or so. I’m trying to bring that energy and grittiness that you experience in a dark underground club and infuse it into pristine, static paintings. There is an interesting balance in how the two come together and play with each other in the work. Oftentimes, this will also work its way into how the works are presented—whether that’s in the physical qualities of the space they sit in, the lighting, music, or general atmosphere.

There has been a big resurgence in the interest in nightlife post-COVID, and it plays such an important role in queer life too. Clubs aren’t just for dancing—they’re also a hub for social connection, and this is what I want to relay in my work.

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN 4BYSIX APPROACHED YOU TO COLLABORATE ON THIS PROJECT?

I’ve worked with 4BYSIX before on a previous auction, and it is always a fun challenge to paint on their recycled panels. It’s a very different experience to my usual canvas and makes me approach the painting differently. I also love to see the different artists that they bring together and how they each approach prompts in their own ways.

4BYSIX’S MISSION IS ROOTED IN USING ART TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES. HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK FITTING INTO THAT PURPOSE?

I think art is there to spark thought and conversation, and can connect people through its message, themes, or simply how it looks. My works reflect on the importance of shared spaces and how they can bring people together and allow for connection—even if that isn’t the most obvious place or way.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PIECE YOU CREATED FOR THE 4BYSIX AUCTION? WHAT WAS YOUR APPROACH, AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO YOUR BROADER PRACTICE?

My piece Keep Dreamin’ continues exploring themes of identity and belonging that I have been working through in previous paintings, and brings in new ideas of anonymity. For this painting, I embraced the texture and existing colour of the panel, leaving a lot of it exposed for my background. In line with that, I brought in new textures and noise that I haven’t previously used in my works—adding scratches, scuffs and marks to the plastics and glass of the helmet.

DIGITAL INFLUENCES ARE OBVIOUS IN YOUR WORK, BUT THERE’S ALSO A STRONG SENSE OF EMOTION AND HUMANITY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE TECHNICAL AND THE PERSONAL IN YOUR PROCESS?

I find that as I’m making my paintings, subconsciously I have brought in influences from my personal life to the composition. Whether that’s through specific objects or themes I’m working through, ideas and feelings make their way into the works at the rendering stage. The paintings themselves don’t give too much away—they still have that crisp glossy finish consistent in all my works—but there are little hints here and there for the viewer to read into.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE FEEL OR REFLECT ON WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER YOUR PIECE THROUGH THIS COLLABORATION?

With this collaboration, I think what the viewer will be able to reflect on most is how myself and each artist involved has taken the same idea and theme and interpreted it so uniquely in their own way. Once a painting is finished and out in the world, the story or experience I might have attached to it can be totally different to that which the viewer associates onto the work. I hope people can enjoy it on a surface level as a visual work, but maybe be able to put their own ideas into what they see.