Alexander Heaton

Central Saint Martins : Ba Fine art 

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Lankiveil-deployment-zone

 

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Tomcat-Tussel.-Alexander-He

 

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V1-Recon.-Alexander-Heaton-

 

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Bergschrunds-on-Lankiviel.-

 

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ant-alexander-heaton-photo-

 

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bridge-mirror-alexander-hea

 

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fear-is-the-mind-killer-ale

 

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in-order-to-destroy-one-mus

 

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krachen-vogel.2--alexander-

 

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krang--alexander-heaton-oil

 

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krull--alexander-heaton-oil

 

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taunton-terrain--alexander-

 

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the-primative-can-become-so

 

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the-symultanous-destruction

 

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the-tanzerouft-in-winter--a

 

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vents-alexander-heaton-phot

 

Artist Statement

One of the main concerns of my practice is the notion of ‘future primitivism’. Recently I have been visually exploring this idea. Initially I looked at Suprematist theory, in particular being man’s inevitable exploration into the cosmos via mechanised machines. Past artistic machinations of technology inevitably appear retro and distinctly of there own time. This parallels science fictions social and political commentary that is often stuck in its own era. The paintings capture a bygone, flawed sense of what this dislocated techno sublime could have, or would be like. To construct such worlds I ended up sometimes merging the cinematic with collaged robotic images. Source material is manipulated from existing imagery in films such as David Lynch’s ‘Dune’ (1984) and Kow Yokoyama’s ‘Nutrocker’ (1985). This sampled language was important to me because for past adolescent generations it represents nostalgia for obsolete analogue effects such as cut action, matte paintings. These no longer exist in the current filmic environment, Therefore the viewer could question the pieces own artistic value. Is the work just a monument for past artistic ideals?

However, this was not the only idea I wanted to pursue in my discourse. Using collage, I create layered interpenetrative space where the narrative element is reduced. I have established a warped yet familiar environment. By using the macro process, I have been able in my photographic documentation to collate strange yet familiar images of exotic plants and grasses. By using what I have learned from the graphic language of constructivism I am able to manually put such sources together thus to create an experience of anxiety and drama in a deconstructed, Distopic world.

The work can be perceived as a reactionary discourse to the urban environment. It is informed by the escapism of comics, cinematic design and contempary science fiction. More importantly though, I have created a hybrid world of post apocalyptic vastness, were the distinctions of ugliness and beauty became blurred. The large canvases express the need in dense urban areas to experience the sublime inherent in nature. Within the expressive language of the work, I examine the fear of being exposed to the vastness of nature. Alien structures counteract this fear by opposing the natural order and remind the viewer of distantly unreal spatial realms. In terms of my future development, I will continue with my painterly yet conflicting events. In my practice, I feel that I have resurrected a lost visual identity. The work makes us consider a sense of respect and apprehension for where future technological hostilities could take us.

 

Alexander Heaton

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