22.10.15 — Press

What is your reason for visiting?

The Dot project presents Alex Gardner. A solo exhibition ‘What is your reason for visiting?’

Fresh Talent. Timeless Art. The Dot Project is more than a traditional
art space; it’s a powerful concept devoted to nurturing the next generation of art collectors along with the artists who inspire them. We are committed to transforming the appetites of young art lovers from admirers into ambassadors.

Alex creates sculptural yet expressive figurative work set in a minimal
geometric landscape. He draws on influence from Renaissance painters in the way to pose and gesture the figures to purposefully guide the eye through the composition. He relies solely on the figure and it’s interaction with simple shapes, and sometimes plants, to create ambiguous narratives.

The aim of his work is to convey the mood and emotion of a specific life event without explicitly describing the event itself. The anonymous figures allow viewers to project themselves into the narrative while also
depicting issues of identity. Gardner explores human nature and reoccurring themes such as desire, ethics and anxiety, which are often juxtaposed with the notion of leisure.

Gardner’s African and Japanese heritage has an influence in his work.
Having travelled extensively to both regions, he uses these personal
experiences as inspiration and aims to create relatable visual narratives through stark figurative compositions.

Gardner obtained a BFA in Fine Art from CSULB University in Long Beach, California. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.