Chris Alexander
Belly of the Whale, 1998
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Chris Alexander, Belly of the Whale, 1998 Charcoal on paper, vintage postcard in mixed-media construction, 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 3 in. de Saisset Museum permanent collection, gift of the artist, 2001.1 |
The contradictory relationship between man and nature lies at the heart of San Jose-based artist Chris Alexander's intimately scaled and masterfully crafted constructions. An admitted nature-lover who refuses to label himself an environmentalist, Alexander creates work that reflects a detached amusement at the paradoxical way that man treats nature. While man professes a love for nature, he continually manipulates the natural world, often resulting in disastrous consequences.
Alexander's works are carefully constructed from appropriated vintage postcards, carefully rendered charcoal drawings, and handmade wood boxes. Belly of the Whale is from a series of redwood forest diptychs that juxtapose images of logging industry achievements with the artist's own personal, ironic responses. The postcard in the work depicts two figures playfully peeking their heads out of holes in a fallen and decaying tree. To complement the image, Alexander drew a detailed image of a tree in a lumber mill. Each image depicts the destruction of nature: one through natural and one through man-made processes. As the artist explains: "both benefit the human, one being in a playful manner, the other more as a necessity of survival."
As with other Alexander pieces, Belly of the Whale rewards careful viewing. At first glance, the work is formally satisfying in its meticulous construction. After closer inspection and continued thought, the meaning of the work begins to emerge, resonating on personal and universal levels. Ultimately, it is the wry humor of the work that lingers long after the piece is no longer visible.
Chris Alexander is a San Jose native who earned his B.A. (1991) and M.F.A. (1994) from San Jose State University. He first became interested in creating art about nature through his years working in the garden department of a major discount department store. Alexander's work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the San Jose Museum of Art and San Jose State University. He has also been included in group exhibitions at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, WORKS/San Jose, and Heritage Bank in San Jose.