A selection of paintings from the recent solo exhibition of Brooklyn-based artist Alexander Harrison, Big world, at the Kasmin gallery. With a lifelong interest in the cosmos and physics, Harrison creates an “alternate dimension” in his paintings – “a universe that looks like a fever dream as my eyes show”. It invokes the grandeur of the cosmos with symbols like shooting stars and moons, while simultaneously creating intimacy and a sense of grounding by including elements from the natural world, like roots underground or a spider web.
Growing up in a close-knit island community of family and friends in South Carolina, Harrison was always drawn to what existed beyond the confines of the life he knew. “I always wanted to push my limits, get away from my upbringing and stretch myself to see what I was capable of,” he says. After he left, he felt unease about the unknown of his future. He draws on this sentiment in his painting practice, infusing his work with a surreal sense of restlessness.
Speaking about the future, as he prepares to return home to the South, Harrison says, “I feel like I’m at a crossroads with my life. I’m moving from New York. I need a change and wonder what the change of scenery of my return to the South will do to my work. I will have more time with my family and these landscapes with which I grew up. It will be fun to get into plein air painting and maybe go back to my grandfather’s farm. I feel like I painted from a distance and I’m ready to bring it back to center.
See more from Alexander Harrison below!
