Alex Spalding
Kitten, 2024
Flashe on gessobord, back signed in acrylic
24" x 24" x 1.5"

Artist Statement

"Wild Side" is my collection of figurative paintings and portraits celebrating power, imagination, and human nature untamed. At its core, the work explores contradictions central to our sense of self-beauty and unease, allure and alienation-drawing viewers in to project their own narratives and emotions. In "Wild Side", Using color, stylization, and an absence of context, I create an inviting yet challenging space for viewers to confront unresolved tensions, as raw, feral imagery blends with absurdity, ambiguity, and glamor.

I work with AI as a collaborator, inviting an element of unpredictability and distance. The impersonal choices AI makes offer me a method to examine the collision between personal and cultural symbolism. Then, I refine the imagery, guiding the process by shaping the output with my reflections, personal experiences, or ideas.

Artist Bio

Alex Spalding (b. 1985, Springfield, MO) is a self-taught figurative painter specializing in vibrant, stylized works created with highly pigmented vinyl-based paints. Drawing from vintage commercial illustration and Contemporary fine art, he re-imagines these influences through bold technique and the innovative use of technology.

Before dedicating himself to painting in 2023, Alex was immersed in a diverse range of creative pursuits, including experimental dance music production, managing two net-based record labels, gonzo music journalism, screenwriting, and caricature, as well as minimalist graphic art. This multidisciplinary background continues to inform the style of his work today. Alex lives and works in Philadelphia, PA, where he runs The Mid-Atlantic Collective (or MAC) and Canvas & Curtain: A Persona-Crafting Studio for Visual Artists.

https://www.aspaldingart.com

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