LIVE ARTiFACTS of ALEX ANDERSON
Who are you?Alex Anderson is an American ceramic artist focused on ideas of ephemeral beauty and decay who seeks to capture images of nature in its prime while evoking the darkness inherent in the fact that if these forms were not frozen in clay, they would melt back into the earth, as everything does once expired.During his undergraduate career, Alex studied abroad in Jingdezhen, China, a ceramic mecca where porcelain was discovered that housed the workshops which formerly produced the famed ceramic treasures of the ancient imperial court. This experience left a significant impact on his aesthetic and gave him knowledge of the traditional techniques of the region that he pairs with his training across the ceramic medium to make the elegant and conceptually grounded pieces of his present work.Alex is an MFA candidate at University of California, Los Angeles, a graduate of Swarthmore College, and a former resident artist at the China Academy of Art during his tenure as a Fulbright scholar.What is your art medium and focus?My medium began as ceramic sculpture and recently expanded to painting and public art. In my practice, the use of each medium informs the use of the others and I move between them to suit the concept and needs of the piece.
Why is art important to you?Being an artist allows me to explore, reflect upon, and celebrate the parts of this world I find most beautiful and intriguing while seeking to understand and express my lived reality. It reveals the truths of life and it connects me to my ultimate, universal purpose.
Where can I see your latest art project?My most recent art project is Canopy, an 85-foot wide x 17-foot tall temporary public art work at the Seattle Center as part of the Seattle Center Activations project through the Office of Arts and Culture. It is a physical translation of my ink painting aesthetic that hangs between the pillars of Founder's Court to create a floating, architectural painting in space.
When and How did you discover art process?I discovered my process simply through the experience of making, which I started to do when I was 15. Each new period of growth informs my work and helps me to refine and enrich it with what I take in by being alive.
THE CANOPY
FANTASY OR REALITY
LICHEN VESSEL
THE SEED
ENCOUNTER
GOLD FINCHES
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