186 State Street Binghamton NY, 13901
tel. +1 607 772 0485 www.anthonybrunelli.com
Giles Alexander
ETERNITY : Far Away. So Close
Eternity: Far Away. So Close. By Naomi Riddle
“My hands held metal, my eyes starlight, and it was though I had come so close to something that it had fallen out of focus, or fallen so far away from it that it had faded away.”1 “Science fiction properly conceived, like all serious fiction, however funny, is a way of trying to describe what is in fact going on, what people actually do and feel, how people relate to everything else in this vast sack, this belly of the universe.”2
If it takes four years for the light of a star to reach the earth, then what we are looking at when we look up at the night sky is an after-image rather than the actual event. We stand, rooted in the present, but we are looking at the past. Yes, you will say, I’ve heard this story before, just as I’ve heard that if atoms are filled with vacant space, then everything we think of as solid is really empty. We tend to counter these revelations with our own lived experience—‘it might be the past, but I’m looking at the star right now’, says the child, or ‘if my toy is made of air, then why can I pick it up in my hand?’ For all we may think we understand atoms and the speed of light, the scientific truth still jars with the reality of what we can touch and see. The study of the universe, and the exploration of space, ruptures the straight plane of our everyday. It makes us aware that much of what we take to be firm fact is illusion—a series of principles cobbled together. It takes the grand narratives we tell ourselves about human progress, conquest and achievement, and reduces them to the size of a fingernail. When the first images from the surface of the moon were beamed down to our television screens, the image that was most shocking was not so much Neil Armstrong’s blurry footprint, but the earth suspended in the background. We saw our planet in its entirety. It was fragile, quiet, and, most of all, alone. Giles Alexander’s new series of paintings and sculptures draws on the history of space exploration, particle physics and astronomy, and alludes to ideas of faith and spirituality. The result is an eclectic body of work that speculates on the hidden wonders and illusions of the cosmos, our unmitigated desire to explore its realms, and our need to understand our place within it. Many of these works reference the images of the universe directly: Re-presenting the unseeable (2019) presents a study of the first image of a black hole, and Binary Crib Theory (2019) marks the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing. In constructing these works in the style of photorealism, Alexander is performing a double illusion—they are representations of representations, which, on first inspection, appear to be as real as their source material. But these paintings also suggest the way in which astronomy relies on a similar suspension of disbelief. Like Alexander’s paintings, the ‘photographs’ we have of the universe consist of images and data points stitched together from multiple sources. Just as the painter must work with colour and shade, so too must the astrophysicist become a translator of light.
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Alexander’s photorealism—which encourages us to question how we see and respond to the medium of paint—complicates how we apprehend such images of the universe. What is it we are looking at when we see an image constructed out of chopped up radio waves? Is it possible for us to fully see this unseeable event, even when we have the tangible photograph in front us, or only infer it? But although Alexander is dealing in realism, he is also moving in the opposite direction. That is, you can think of much of the work in Eternity: Far Away. So Close. as a kind of speculative futurism, one that is grounded in the legacies of science fiction and the stories of Stanislaw Lem, Arthur C. Clark, H. G Wells and Ursula K. Le Guin. For Alexander, space travel functions as a site for the imaginary—a place to (re) consider narratives of progress and discovery. Patriotic modelled algorithm for a Medieval Spaceship (2019) reconfigures a model ship as an interstellar vessel, while Binary Crib Theory offers a view of the dark side of the moon: the spot where Arthur C. Clark imagined we would discover an ancient alien species. Electric Chiaroscuro 2 (2019) takes the Pantheon in Rome and repurposes this ancient monument beneath a futuristic pink-purple glaze. In doing this, Alexander is considering the permutations and offshoots of human history through the wide-angle lens of the universe. Indeed, it is the act of placing these works side by side that allows for the slow reveal of a multi-linear narrative. Taken this way, Eternity: Far Away. So Close. becomes less about the unknown corners of the cosmos and more about the experience of being human: What counts as progress? What value does truth hold in the face of 13.8 billion years? Can we see an image of the earth without being reminded of our hubris and our fragility? Because as much as our obsession with space is propelled by our need to think through new worlds, it is also driven by the desire to better understand and reshape this world—a world in which we all must live. Naomi Riddle is Sydney-based writer and artist working across the mediums of analog photography, archival film, text and video. She is also the founding editor of the online arts publication Running Dog. 1. Teju Cole, Open City (New York : Random House, 2012) 257. 2. Ursula K. Le Guin, Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places (New York : Grove Place,1997) 170.
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Eccentric Action Painting 11 oil and resin on rotating aluminium 8
39 x 39 in.
Eccentric Action Painting 12
oil and resin on rotating aluminium 10
39 x 39 in.
Eccentric Action Painting 14 oil and resin on rotating aluminium 12
39 x 39 in.
Syzygy 2 (side I) oil and resin on rotating aluminium 14
2 x 23 x 23 in.
Syzygy 2 (side II) oil and resin on rotating aluminium 2 x 23 x 23 in.
Re-presenting the unseeable oil and resin on board 16
16 x 12 in.
Proposition for the first prehistoric spacewoman resin model, mylar, acrylic, wood, mirrors, LEDs 18
12 x 8 in.
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Patriotic Algorithm for a Medieval Spaceship (with alternate LED view) handmade model Santa Maria, mirror, ink + LEDs 22 x 18 x 13 in.
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Electric Chiaroscuro 1 (with alternate LED view) oil and resin on aluminium + LEDs 30 x 22 in.
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Electric Chiaroscuro 2 (with alternate LED view) oil and resin on aluminium + LEDs 30 x 22 in.
Spectral Geometric Building Blocks acrylic, wood, mirrors + LEDs 26
30 x 30 in.
Binary Crib Theory oil and resin on aluminium + LEDs 28
71 x 67 in.
Biography
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“In my practice, along with figurative clarity, I am compelled by what cannot be seen, or can be seen only with the help of technology. I explore these ideas through colour, luminescence, gradient, mark making, focus, rotation, geometry and the spatial ambiguities that shiny and transparent surfaces create, such as void, perspective, reflection and refraction.” Giles Alexander Giles Alexander has centred his art practice around a powerful visual discourse about belonging. He asks us “what does it mean, and how do we find a sense of belonging in a city, in a country, in the world, indeed in the universe”? Alexander’s humanist investigations have followed many aesthetic paths over the years, with a hallmark of profound technical prowess. The artist is aware that these questions have preoccupied humanity since we encountered the power of thought. Alexander’s planetary work is well documented through major exhibitions in London, Sydney and Singapore. Alexander is a multiple art prize finalist including, the Archibald Prize (2010, 2011, 2013), Sulman Prize (2013), Moran Prize (2012, 2016) and Blake Prize (2006, 2013). In recent years international private collectors from exhibitions in Sydney, London, Singapore and New York have acquired his work. Work by Alexander is also held in public collections including; London Guildhall Art Gallery, Bond University, ANU, Gold Coast Gallery, Tweed river Gallery, Artbank and MCQ International. “While there are a great many artists with the patience and physical skills to create beautiful detailed realist paintings, there are very few I consider to be ‘post modern’, contemporary and history making. In fifty years I have essentially found 10 artists a decade, or one a year on average, who have, as they say ‘caught my eye’. Giles Alexander is the most recent one.”- Louis K. Meisel – April, 2018 (American author, art dealer and proponent of the photorealist art movement, having coined the term in 1969.)
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Education
2012 E=mc2?, The Fine Art Society, London, UK
2013 MFA, National Art School, Sydney
Know Thyself, Peter Walker fine art, Adelaide, SA
2009-2011 Lecturer, Painting/Drawing, National Art School. Sydney
2011 The Goldilocks region, GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney
2006 1st Class Honours (Painting), National Art School, Sydney
2010 Reproduction, Dianne Tanzer Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2005 BFA (Painting), National Art School, Sydney
Spacetime, Peter Walker Fine Art, Adelaide, SA
1999 Diploma in Mixed Media, St Martins School of Art, U.K. 1998 Diploma in Graphic Design, Kentish Town College, U.K. 1995 First year BFA, 3D Design & Photography, Coventry University, U.K. 1994 Diploma Art Foundation, Epping Forest College, U.K.
2009 Smoke’n’Mirrors, Kristian Pithie Gallery, Melbourne, Vic 2008 Neon Bible, Mori Gallery, Sydney 2007 Engineering Consent, Mori Gallery, Sydney Reverence, Mori Gallery, Sydney
Solo Exhibtions
Group Exhibtions
2018 It’s Turtles all the way down, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
2018 Imagine, Curated by Simon Gregg, Gippsland Art Gallery
2017 Vanitas, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
2017 Art Miami, Miesel Gallery, NYC
2016 Fossil, Nanda\Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
Sydney Contemporary, Nanda Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
2015 Portal, NKN Gallery, Melbourne
9 hours under ground, Curated Kate Smith, Sydney Opera house Size Doesn’t Matter, Miesel Gallery, NYC
2014 Bruno’s dream, Australian High Commission, Singapore
2016 Equus, curated by Kate Smith, Olsen Irwin gallery, Sydnry
Alchemist’s Opus, Peter Walker Fine Art, Adelaide, SA
2015 Sydney Contemporary, Nanda Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
2013 Our Father is a Red Giant, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney 32
Face off, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter
Hong Kong Central, The Fine Art Society, Contemporary 2014 Conquest of Space, Curated by Andrew Frost, Cofa gallery Fields of Vision: Art and Astronomy, Macquarie Uni.
2010 Hong Kong Art Fair, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong NOTFAIR, curated by Sam Leach & Ash Crawford, Melbourne 2009 Sullivan & Strumpf, Extropian, curated by Sam Leach, Sydney
What Duchamp taught me, The Fine Art Society, London, UK Comodaa Gallery, Australia Now, Covent Garden, London, U.K Melbourne Art Fair, Martin Browne Contemporary Kristian Pithie Gallery, Same same but different, Melbourne, Vic Art14, The Fine Art Society, London, UK Innocence, Group Exhibition, Lorraine Pilgrim, Queensland Winter Show, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney Drawcard 09, NAS Gallery, Sydney 2013 Post-grad show, National Art School, Sydney
2008 Smithfields 140th Anniversary, Guild Hall, London, U.K
Sydney Contemporary, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney Carteret Islands, Group Exhibition, Mori Gallery, Sydney Art13, The Fine Art Society, London, UK Memento Mori, Group Exhibition, blkmrkt, Queensland Winter Show, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney Drawcard 08, NAS Gallery, Sydney London Art Fair, The Fine Art Society, London, UK 2012 Autumn Show, The Fine Art Society, Hong Kong
2007 Simply The Best, Group Exhibition, Lorraine Pilgrim, Queensland Greens Fundraiser, Mori Gallery, Sydney
Spring Show, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney Solomon Fundraiser, Royal Australian Institute Architects, Sydney The British Cut, The Fine Art Society, Hong Kong Reverentia, Group Exhibition, Lorraine Pilgrim, Queensland Signal 8, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong Group Exhibition, Mori Gallery, Sydney London Art Fair, The Fine Art Society, London, UK Hong Kong art fair, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong 2011 Step09, Milan Art Fair, BlackArtProjects, Milan, Italy
2006 Drawcard 06, National Art School, Sydney Art Sydney 06, Hordern pavilion, Sydney Inspiration comes of work, Group Exhibition, Kudos Gallery, Sydney
(re)vision Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, NSW ‘100’ BlackArtProjects, Melbourne, Vic
2005 Degree Show, National Art School, Sydney
Wattle, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
Infusion 2005, Fonas Group Exhibition. Cell Block Gallery. Sydney
Art London, Comodaa Gallery, London, U.K
2004 Face Off, Group Exhibition, Stairwell Gallery, Sydney
Lost in Painting’ Dianne tanzer gallery, Melbourne, Vic 33
Fonas Infusion, Group Exhibition, Cell Block Gallery, Sydney
2010 Arkley Award, Melbourne, Vic, finalist
2002 Recent Works, exhibition, Global Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Moran Prize, NSW State Library, finalist
Liverpool City Art Prize, Group Exhibition, Liverpool, NSW
Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney, finalist
2001 Strawberry Jam, Group Exhibition, Surry Hills, Sydney
RBS Emerging Artist Award, Sydney, finalist
Recent Works, Basil Street Basement Gallery, London, U.K.
2009 Directors stock room, Barrat White Haunch of Venison Gallery, NY
ORANGE, Group Exhibition, Global Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
Duke Prize, Brisbane, Queensland, finalist Wardlow residency, Melbourne, Vic
Awards, Scholarships And Residencies
2008 Duke Prize, Brisbane, Queensland, finalist
2016 Paddington Art Prize, Marlene Antico Fine Arts, Sydney, finalist
2007 Duke Prize, Brisbane, Queensland, finalist
Moran Prize, finalist
Metro 5 Prize, Melbourne, Vic, 1st Prize
2015 Sovereign Asia Art Award, Hong Kong, nominee
2006 Paddington Art Prize, Marlene Antico Fine Arts, Sydney, finalist
2014 Art of Music, Charity Auction, AGNSW
Art On The Rocks, Sydney, Highly Commended
Fleurieu Art Prize, Adelaide, SA, finalist 2013 Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney, finalist Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney, finalist Blake Prize, Sherman wing Cofa gallery, finalist Fleurieu Art Prize, SA, finalist 2012 Moran Prize, Sydney, NSW, finalist Sovereign Asia Art Award, Hong Kong, nominee Fleurieu Art Prize, Adelaide, SA, finalist 2011 Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney, finalist 34
Blake Prize, Touring Exhibition, NSW, ACT, Vic, Queensland, finalist R & M McGivern Art Prize, Maroondah Art Gallery, Vic, finalist 2005 Murray Sime Painting Prize, National Art School, Sydney, 1st Prize MCQ International Art Prize, MCA Sydney, 1st Prize Drawing Week, National Art School, 1st Prize 2004 John Olsen Drawing Prize, Sydney, Highly Commended National Art School, Awarded advanced standing Propeller 04, Sydney, Peoples Choice Award 1988 Art Scholarship (5 years) Bishops Stortford College, U.K.
Publications
J. Dunn, Winkle out the winners, AFR, 26 Nov 2014 http://www.afr.com/markets/equity-markets/winkle-out-the-winners-20141125-11twgr
Louis K. Miesel, Catologue essay, April 2018 J. McDonald, “Our Father is a Red Giant”, Catalogue essay July 2013 J. Arvanitakis, Life of Sand, Catalogue essay June 2017 “The Art of Collecting”, Ben & Co, June 2017 C. Gable,” A Sting in the tale”, Robb Report, March 2017 D.Ryan, Channel 9 TV News, 22 Oct 2016 http://www.snappytv.com/tc/3068149/1712323
H. McKissock-Davis, “Editors pick”, Australian Art Collector 23 July 2013 http://www.artcollector.net.au/GilesAlexanderOurFatherisaRedGiant S. Cane, “Our Father is a Red Giant”, Wonder July 2013 http://www.pausetowonder.org/2013/08/07/our-father-is-a-red-giant/ K.Britton, “REVIEW Our Father is a Red Giant”, Raven, July 2013 https://www.ravencontemporary.com.au/review-giles-alexander-our-father-is-a-red-giant/
A. Frost, “Open Road, Red Giant”, Catalogue essay May 2016 O. Craven, “profile”, Artist Profile magazine, May 2013 http://owencraven.com/2013/07/giles-alexander/ V. Hynes, “What Now”, Austrialian Art Collector, April 2016 A. Crawford, “Open Catalogue: Giles Alexander”, Art Guide, April 2016 J. McGeorge, Fossil, Luxury Living Magazine, 31 March 2016 http://mag.luxuryliving.com/fossil-giles-alexander/ Queen Anne’s Gate: Works from the Collection of Sting & Trudie Styler, 24 Feb 2016 http://www.christies.com/features/Works-from-the-Art-Collection-of-Stingand-Trudie-Styler-6696-1.aspx P. Sawer, Sting sells collection of modern masters, The Telegraph UK, 28 Oct 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/11960394/All-change-forSting-as-he-sells-his-collection-o f-modern-masters.html
J. O’Sullivan, “Giles Alexander joins Martin Browne Contemporary”, AAC Sept 2012 http://www.artcollector.net.au/GilesAlexanderjoinsMartinBrowneContemporary?searchTerms[]=giles&searchTerms[]=alexander R. Brown, “An Australian artist in London”, ABC Radio National, 28th May 2012 http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/giles-alexander-showsat-london27s-fine-art-society/4030264 C. Stewart, “The World’s his oyster”, Financial Review, 2nd June 2012 http://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/review/painting_the_world_his_oyster_EUXTEiQpDfXKSaPI30aK1H A. Yang, “Giles Alexander Exhibits in London”, Australian Art Collector, May 2012 http://www.artcollector.net.au/GilesAlexanderexhibitsinLondon?searchTerms[]=giles&searchTerms[]=alexander G.Sparrow, “An Uncertain light”, Catalogue essay, May 2012
G. Seriser, “Artist Feature”, Vault Magazine, April 2015 R. Gallow, “Painting in the Round: Giles Alexander”, Raven, April 2015 https://ravencontemporary.wordpress.com/portfolio/giles-alexander-painting-in-the-round-rebecca-gallo/ 35
C. Bramley, “The art of Space”, Sky at night magazine, April 2012 http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/blog/chris-bramley/art-space
Katrina Strickland, “Adelaide exhibition”, Financial Review, 9th February 2012 “50 Most collectable Artists”, Australian Art Collector, January 2011 C. Miller, “Profile”, Australian Art Collector, September 2010 http://www.artcollector.net.au/GilesAlexanderReflectionsofthehistoryofpainting
Collections Bond University Australian National University Gold Coast Gallery Tweed river Gallery Artbank Gippsland Regional Gallery
A. Frost, T”he Rapture of Science”, The Art Life, November 2009 http://theartlife.com.au/2009/the-rapture-of-science/
London Guildhall Art Gallery MCQ International
T. W. Lawrance, “Australia Now: Contemporary Art”, The Arbuturian.com, October 2009 D. Rule, “Around the Galleries”, The Age, July 2009 “Admin review”, Artinfo.com.au, July 2009 G. Maestri, “Smoke and Mirrors”, Exhibition Catalogue, June 2009 S. Leach, “Neon Bible”, Exhibition Catalogue, May 2008 C. Ardill-Guiness, “Metro 5 prize documentary”, Ovation TV, April 2007 T. Skewes, “Image isn’t everything”, The Daily Telegraph, March 2007 Z. Skewes, “Tinted Media Wins Praise”, Herald Sun, February 2007 J. Roberts, “Halfway around the world, The Age, page 3, 24/02/07
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Private collections in Australia, UK, Europe, USA, Singapore and Hong Kong
Gallery : 186 State Street Binghamton NY, 13901 tel. +1 607 772 0485 www.anthonybrunelli.com
Cover: Spectral Geometric Building Blocks (detail)
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