POPULUS Exhibition - Craig Alan

CRAIG ALAN

POPULUS CRAIG ALAN

GEFEN GALLERY, SAN FRANSISCO 23 FEBRUARY - 11 APRIL

Gefen Gallery is pleased to present Populus, an exhibition of American artist Craig Alan’s most notable series of work. This will be Craig Alan’s first solo exhibition at Gefen Gallery, and will be on view from February 23 until April 11, 2023.

Populus came to fruition in what would otherwise be a mundane event. While standing atop a balcony in Orange Beach, Alabama overlooking the shore, Alan began photographing the wedding party congregating below. Through the lens, Alan noticed the beachgoers formed the shape of a human eye. From this revelation, along with his rich imagination and artistic prowess, Alan created a unique style fusing pop art, surrealism, and abstract expressionism.

At first glance, Alan’s Populus series may look like aerial photography. However, closer examination reveals to the viewer that they are actually hand painted. Each figure is carefully stenciled one by one, totaling 400 to 1,800 people a painting depending on the size.

Alan’s work combines his empty landscapes with iconic figures and themes. Wrong Way and Over and Under draw inspiration from the optical illusion the Penrose Stairs, dubbed the “Impossible Staircase.” This illusion has inspired many artists over the years, and much like his predecessors, Alan’s ramp ways create a mind-bending image, of each level appearing to be both above and below the previous level. The illusion is further enhanced by careful use of perspective, which creates the impression of depth and distance.

Unlike the busy iterations of the Penrose Stairs seen in the past, Alan’s modern style is stripped down to the essence, with clean lines and a single, unknown light source casting a strong shadow on the figures and illuminating the stark white space. You can almost hear the ringing echo of heeled shoes in an empty hallway. The figures seem purposeful and playful, but also lost and listless as they drift through the labyrinth. Their endless task of traveling up and down creates a Sisyphean ritual that begs the viewer to either place themselves in the maze itself, or as the omnipresent being looking overhead.

CRAIG ALAN

AMERICAN, B. 1971

Alan’s interest in liminal spaces is seen throughout all his work. He creates transitional, in-between environments that are ambiguous and even uncanny, as they exist outside the normal bounds of typical everyday life. Whether that be through the impossible staircase, the empty whiteness surrounding the subjects, the serene blue and unblemished sandy shores of his beaches, or the faceless human figures navigating the dreamy abyss, they carry an air of unsettling mystery, and offer a unique and thought-provoking lens through which to view the world.

Craig Alan was born in 1971 and began his creative career at a young age. In his childhood home outside of Atlanta, Alan took a box of crayons to the walls of his parent’s home. Surely his parents were not thrilled, but by age seven, they could not deny their son’s artistic talent. After taking introductory drawing classes in primary school, Alan began to develop his technical skills at home. It wasn’t until the artist attended the University of Mobile, Alabama that he realized his passion could lead to a career. To support his schooling, Alan drove to New Orleans on the weekends to create charcoal and watercolor portraits for passersby on the street. The university expanded Alan’s artistic horizons, while his weekend excursions gave him the repetitive technical practice needed for success. His university time was capstoned with his admission into the university’s most prestigious exhibition.

Now internationally recognized, Alan has a year-round presence in over 70 galleries worldwide, as well as private collections. He is a frequent feature at several art fairs, and has shown in many solo and group exhibitions.